


I'm No Hero

by AltruisticSkittles



Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Abusive Rosleep, Angst with a Happy Ending, Arguing, Artist Virgil, Blood, Gen, Guns, House Fires, Human Trafficking, Individual chapter triggers not included, Journalist Roman, Kidnapping, Loss of Consiousness, Mind Control, Morally Neutral Deceit Sanders, Past Logince - Freeform, Past Rosleep, Strained Relationships, Superhero Logan, Superhero Patton, Villain Remy, Violence, superhero au, you just gotta get through the mud to get there
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-16
Updated: 2019-08-16
Packaged: 2020-09-01 03:11:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 22
Words: 104,748
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20251216
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AltruisticSkittles/pseuds/AltruisticSkittles
Summary: “In the past three months, two unknown superheroes named Intuition and Palpitation have been guarding our city. So far, they’ve stopped a bank robbery, saved two people from a burning building, and have even overthrown plans to kidnap the mayor. Sure, there’s a new villain on the rise, but you can be sure the citizens of Sidestone are sleeping easy knowing that these vigilantes are keeping peace. I’m Thomas Sanders, signing off the 9 o'clock news.”Sounds cliche, right? Two deviants turned superhero, and the crowd goes wild. It's love and happiness all around. Right?Not exactly.Sure it started out that way, but then Palpitation and Intuition get a mysterious letter from someone named Deceit. Literally swept off their feet into a nightmare that neither of them asked for, the two of them are thrown into the middle of a political battle. They now have to pick a side. Who do they fight for: the city that idolizes them or deviants ignored and cast out for being different? Either way, no one feels like a hero at the end of the day.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Wooow this took a wild turn. It was supposed to be so light hearted. What happened? Instead, it turned into a story about second chances, about forgiveness, about change, about becoming a better person. 
> 
> Anyway, if you know my writing, you should know by now you're in for a ride. Individual warnings are on each chapter. Have a good time, and remember to heed the warnings!
> 
> -Cat
> 
> \--  
Chapter Warnings: hostage mention, kidnapping, loss of consciousness  
Word Count: 1541

_“A bank robbery was once again stopped thanks to the dynamic duo of Palpitation and Intuition. When police arrived at the scene, more than 25 hostages had been taken by 31-year-old Ka-_”

Virgil turned off the television and rested his head against the back of the couch. Why did he bother watching the news again? All it ever did was glorify people who did wrong things and give them two minutes of fame.

“Okay, I’m back,” Patton said and sat beside his roommate. He quirked a brow as the television turned off and asked, “Uh, did the power go out?”

“No,” Virgil mumbled, “I just didn’t feel like changing the channel.”

“Oh. What was on?”

“Just some garbage about someone robbing a bank.”

Patton’s smile grew. “Well, what did they say?”

“Nothing really special. Two supposed superheroes came in, caught the bad guys, then moved on with their lives. You know, that cheesy stuff you only get in movies.”

“Oh, I don’t know. I think it’s kinda inspiring that they’re out there fixing some stuff that’s broken.”

Virgil snorted. “Yeah, I guess. Can they fix me next?”

Patton’s smile slipped away from his face. He took a deep breath and cleared his throat. “So, Virge, how about a movie?”

“Sure, why not.” Virgil yawned. “You pick it though. After my day, I’m pretty sure I’m just going to end up falling asleep on the couch anyway.”

Patton nodded and passed a bowl of popcorn to Virgil. He skipped over to the DVD rack next to the television, and his fingers brushed over the movies until they rested on Lilo and Stitch. He held it over his shoulder for Virgil to see. Virgil flashed a thumbs up, and Patton opened the DVD player to put the CD inside.

After hitting the play button, Patton jumped onto the sofa. He grabbed a blanket from the back couch cushion and snuggled into the Hufflepuff throw pillow beside him. Virgil scooted over to give Patton space, leaned in on his own armrest, and cradled his cheek in his hand.

True to his word, Virgil passed out halfway through the movie. Patton moved his blanket over to cover most of Virgil’s torso and pushed the stop button on the remote. He didn’t like watching anything by himself. He’d rather watch Virgil’s subtle expressions out of the corner of his eye than a movie he’d seen a hundred times.

Patton stretched his hands over his head. His shoulder popped, and he gasped as a nerve pinched. Shoulders were not supposed to make that noise. He moved his neck around, released some tension in his upper back, and sighed through his nose.

“Good night, kiddo.” Patton yawned. He passed a quick glance to Virgil, who never moved, and smiled. After making sure the front door was locked, Patton retired to his room, put on his favorite pair of pajamas, and snuggled down into his bed for the night.

–

_”Nobody knows who the masked duo is or where they came from, but you can be sure the citizens of Sidestone are sleeping easy knowing that these two superhumans are keeping watch over our peaceful city. I’m Thomas Sanders, signing off-”_

Roman leaped onto the couch, making both Logan and his tea jump from the force. Logan sent a glare in his roommate’s direction and narrowed his eyes.

“Do you mind?” Logan asked.

“No.”

Logan rolled his eyes and mumbled, “I don’t walk into your bedroom and jump on your furniture.”

“I think you mean _our_ furniture.”

“I bought this couch before you invading my space was even a thought, therefore it makes it my couch.”

“Aww, you love me,” Roman cooed as he leaned in to fake kiss Logan.

Logan contemplated shoving his lukewarm tea in Roman’s face. He decided against it. That’d be a perfectly good waste of tea.

Roman continued, “Sooo, what do you think about the new superheroes who moved into town?”

Logan adjusted his glasses. “You mean the two obviously skilled humans who are glorified as superheroes when they are probably the mastermind behind the whole operation to make themselves look good and give-”

“Okay, okay, sorry I asked. You sound like my brother,” Roman grumbled. He fiddled with his phone, sending a short text to a friend and taking a deep breath in. “You gotta admit though, all this hero work is somewhat exciting.”

“I can only imagine the ramifications their actions will have on the city. Eventually, someone is going to rise up and try to challenge them, someone who they won’t be able to defeat, and surely the city will turn against them the moment something happens and they weren’t there to protect them.”

“When did you become an expert on superheroes, Stale Lee?”

“I am not saying I am. Just speaking through experience.”

Roman rolled his eyes. “How do you always manage to suck the fun out of every situation?”

“It’s a talent.”

“Well this talent is going to bed before you suck the joy out of me too,” Roman said as he stood and turned on a heel, dramatically stomping to his room.

“Good night, Roman,” Logan called out over his shoulder. The door closing answered him.

At least it did, until Roman’s voice called through the door, “Sleep well, Logan.”

Logan sighed and shook his head. He opened his laptop lid and scrolled through recent news articles on the two superheroes. It always helped to know what the news was saying.

–

Thomas ended his broadcast and watched the red recording lights turn off. He congratulated his partner for the successful broadcast and jumped off the set to start his journey home.

“Yo, Sanders, great broadcast,” a less than respected coworker said as Thomas passed.

Thomas didn’t even glance up. “Thank you.”

“Hey, when you’re done chasing those two deviants around-”

“Don’t call them that.”

“What? Deviants? That’s what they are, genetically mutated garba-”

“See you tomorrow,” Thomas interrupted, closing the studio door in his coworker’s face. He sighed and scrubbed a hand over his face, then hurried to his dressing room while loosening his tie.

For a moment, Thomas stared at himself in the mirror of his private bathroom. He washed some water over his face, reminded himself everything was going well, and dried off with a paper towel. He picked up his bag on the counter as the door opened and closed.

Thomas sighed and grumbled, “I’m really not in the mood to defend mutated rights right now, so can we talk about it tomorrow morning please?”

“Well, I’m definitely interested in mutated rights, but that’s not why I’m here.”

Thomas spun around. A man with black sunglasses drinking Starbucks coffee walked over to him and peeked over the tops of his sunglasses.

“Damn, girl, you look like a hot mess,” he said. “Emphasis on the hot part.”

“Um, thank you,” Thomas said with a nervous laugh. “I really don’t want to be rude, but I’m not in the mood for autographs either right now, so-”

“Nah, babe, I don’t want your autograph.”

Thomas forced a smile. “Then what do you want?”

“Just one night.” The stranger sent a coy smile and winked.

Thomas swallowed his dry throat. “Look, I’m sure you’re really nice, but I’m not really a one night stand kind of guy. I’m sorry.”

“Aww, that’s a shame,” he said and walked closer. Thomas pressed his back against the lockers. He searched his pocket for his phone. His fingers dialed the all too familiar contact, the name “Joan” appearing above an unfinished number.

The man waved his hand in front of Thomas, and a yellow dust coated the air.

Thomas’s brain fuzzed out. He lost his balance and his back fell into the dresser. The wood creaked as he slid slid down the metal and rested on the floor. He glanced up as the man crouched down. Thomas’s vision eventually faded out to black. His ears caught the whisper of the stranger before he slipped into unconsciousness.

“Good night, sweetheart. Your dreams are about to come true.“

The man cracked his neck and pulled out his own phone. He skimmed through the short list of names, found the one he wanted, and hit dial. The phone rang three times before someone picked up.

"So, did you find him?”

“Mmhmm,” he answered. He stared at Thomas’s unconscious body. “He’s sound asleep.”

“Good. Bring him here. We can’t let two Thomas Sanders run around.”

“Heh, yeah, guess that would spook a few people. But, uh, why him, boss?”

“Publicity. I know Thomas won’t risk his career for our cause, especially with that boss of his.”

The phone creaked in his hand as he squeezed it and his teeth. “Can’t I just kill the bastard and leave it at that?”

“No, I told you, it’s too risky.”

“You know I can make it look like an accident.”

“Remy. No.”

“Ugh, fine. I’ll be back soon with your new puppet” Remy grumbled. He sent one last look at Thomas and hung up the phone. Part of him thought this was a waste of time, but he trusted his boss to get things done. They hadn’t steered him wrong so far.

Remy picked up Thomas and mumbled, “Whatever it takes.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Life, as mundane as it is sometimes, has some excitement to it. Old friends, new friends, and maybe some enemies show up when you least expect it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Warnings: multiple discussions about food, eating, skipping meals, lying, hiding injuries, building fires, Deceit mention  
Word Count: 5584

The smell of frying eggs woke Virgil. He blinked his eyes open and glanced around. Judging by the position of the sun outside, the day started long ago without him. He sat up, his back making several popping sounds, and noticed a blanket fall from his shoulders. Strange, he didn’t remember putting a blanket on himself.

Light humming from the kitchen brought a soft smile to his lips. Of course. Patton must’ve covered him up sometime during the night. Virgil stood from the couch and raised his hands over his head. He reveled in the relief of his cracking joints, and he shuffled his feet from the kitchen into the living room.

“Good morning,” Patton greeted as he served breakfast onto a plate. Virgil mumbled a reply and shuffled past Patton, heading right for the coffee. He poured it into his favorite mug and took a sip.

Patton continued, “I didn’t know if you were in the mood for breakfast, so I made extra eggs. If you’re not hungry now, you can always take them to work to heat up later.”

Virgil hummed in response.

Patton added, “Okay, well, I know you like your mornings to be quiet before you had your coffee, so-”

Virgil held up his hand, silencing Patton mid-sentence. He drained his mug and set it on the counter.

“Thanks, Pat,” he said with a small smile and abandoned the food Patton prepared.

“Not even a piece of toast?” Patton called out. The gentle click of the bathroom door answered him.

Patton sighed and put the leftover eggs in a container. He scrubbed the spatula with a sponge and replayed the events in his head.

It wasn’t that he was disappointed. He was just… concerned. He and Virgil knew each other since preschool. The two of them became the odd pair, and they were friends all through school. Patton spent most of his time at Virgil’s apartment. It always felt more like home than his own. Then, sadly, the duo split up to go to college. A year passed. Only then did they start talking again, and only because Virgil asked if they could room together. 

Patton couldn’t have been happier. He missed Virgil so much in that brief amount of time.

However, in the past few months, Virgil spent less and less time with him. Some days he didn’t talk to Patton at all. Patton asked Virgil if they could hang out, but Virgil would make an excuse about how tired he was or he had to work on commissions. He wondered if Virgil only roomed with him because he was nice or if Virgil needed a friend. 

At least, he hoped Virgil thought Patton was still his friend.

Patton set the now clean dishes in the sink and tapped his fingers against the counter. He still had an hour before he had to go to work. Maybe he could squeeze some french toast in. His stomach growled at the thought. 

Patton chuckled softly and gathered the ingredients to make some french toast. A song hummed from his lips as he readied the toast and set it into the frying pan. Somewhere between the notes, Virgil slipped into the doorway of the kitchen. Patton heard Virgil hum part of the harmony, and Patton’s heart jumped.

“Good morning, kiddo,” Patton tried again.

“Morning,” Virgil mumbled in a good attempt to be somewhat pleasant.

Patton couldn’t help but smile. “I’m making myself some french toast. Would you rather that instead of eggs?”

Virgil pulled his lips into a tight line and a vague guilty expression. He shrugged his shoulders and grabbed the container of eggs Patton had fried up for him this morning.

“No thanks. I have to go,” Virgil responded. “Thanks for the eggs though.”

“Oh,” Patton’s lackluster cheer echoed again. He nodded his head and continued, “Okay, well then, have a good day.”

“Yeah,” Virgil glanced down at Patton’s arm, and a deep frown set on his lips. “What happened?” 

Patton stared at his shirt sleeve, which he rolled up to make his french toast. The vibrant purple bruise branded his forearm with secrets. He rolled his sleeve down and forced a laugh.

“Oh, you know, just bumped it off the counter again. I’ll be okay.”

“You sure?”

“Yes.”

“Positive?” 

Patton hesitated. “Of course, Virgil.”

Virgil watched his every move. He took a deep breath and released it. The tenderness from before vanished.

“Fine. I’m out of here.”

Patton moved to pat Virgil’s shoulder, but Virgil pulled away. Chills froze Patton’s hand in place. He shuddered and drew his hand back as it defrosted.

Virgil hesitated a moment, his face frozen in conflicted emotions, and then turned to walk out of the kitchen. He gathered up his house key, sent a forced smile in Patton’s direction, and closed the front door.

Patton’s breath left with him.

“I’m sorry,” Patton whispered to himself as he wiped a frustrated tear from his eye. He contemplated trying to find an apartment by himself to leave Virgil alone, but he knew the reason he moved in with Virgil in the first place was because he couldn’t afford his own home. Perhaps he should move back in with- no out of the question. There was no way he was going back to her. He wouldn’t give her the satisfaction.

He hated lying, but he sure as heck couldn’t tell Virgil the truth. It was a miracle Virgil didn’t know to begin with. 

His mom’s voice echoed in his head. 

_“He won’t be your friend anymore. He’ll think you’re a freak. He’ll tell someone you’re a disgusting deviant and they’ll take you away to experiment on you or try to kill you.”_

The sad part was, Patton knew she was right. A white lie to keep yourself safe wasn’t bad… right?

Patton stabbed his eggs a little too hard as he ate his breakfast. He took a little too much delight tearing his french toast apart with his knife. The stress left his body with his hunger. Was he just hangry? Patton sighed and stared at his clean plate. Maybe there was nothing wrong and he was overthinking everything. 

After setting the dishes in the dishwasher, Patton left the kitchen and started to prepare for his day. Really he could do it all in the span of 5 minutes, but it sometimes helped to pace himself. No need wasting his energy on daily chores.

Patton gathered his things and traveled to the local library. He opened the doors and noticed Logan had already arrived. The elder librarian had books stacked in a satchel, and he climbed up and down the ladder to return them to their proper place.

“Good morning,” Logan greeted without turning around. 

A smile graced Patton’s face as he set his own bag on the counter. He turned his head and answered, “Good morning, Logan. Sleep well?”

“As well as I could. I’m still slightly sore.”

“That’s what you get for not stretching first,” Patton said in a sing-song voice. Logan grunted in mutual agreement. Patton tapped his fingers on the desk and chewed on his lip.

“Something bothering you?” Logan asked.

Patton sighed and let his shoulders slack.

“Logan, do you think I’m a bad person?”

“Good and evil people don’t exist, Patton. This isn’t a comic book. However, it is entirely possible for a human to act in such an irredeemable way that they can be perceived as a quote bad person,” Logan responded. Patton blanched, and Logan quickly continued with, “But I don’t believe you’ve been behaving in a way that makes me question your moral integrity.”

“Thanks, I think,” Patton mumbled.

Logan looked over his shoulder at Patton and slid down the ladder. 

“What brought you to ask me that?”

“It’s just-” Patton paused- “just wondering.”

Logan hummed in understanding. He grabbed a stack of books from the counter and placed them into Patton’s hands.

“Please return these to their rightful spots as quickly as possible. The library opens in-”

Patton dashed off into a blur, and Logan grabbed his glasses so they wouldn’t be sucked into the vacuum Patton created when he ran.

“-five minutes,” Logan finished more so for satisfaction than anyone hearing. Really, with Patton’s super speed, he wondered why he didn’t let the younger librarian finish stacking the books on his own in the morning.

Logan walked behind the front desk and organized objects so it appeared neat and presentable. He hated leaving it a mess at night, but sometimes duty called. A smirk of satisfaction lit his face as every pen returned to its proper home. 

A quick gust of wind and rapid feet warned Logan of Patton’s return. The younger librarian put his head in his palms and grinned at Logan.

“Can I help you?” Logan asked.

“No,” Patton responded. “I just like seeing you happy is all.”

Logan quirked a brow, and Patton started to giggle. He shook his head and sat back on his chair, pulling out a book on the anatomy of stingrays.

“Hey, Logan,” Patton asked, “couldn’t you just, you know, touch a stingray and learn everything about it?”

“Ideally yes,” Logan responded, “but unless a stingray knows exactly why it breathes through its gills, it doesn’t necessarily work that way. I might, however, feel the need to migrate in the summer.”

The thought of Logan migrating brought a smile to Patton’s face, and he stood up from his spot on the desk.

“Can I open the library today?” Patton asked.

“Yes, of course,” Logan replied and flipped the page of his book. Patton practically skipped over to the double doors and unlocked them.

As per usual, a few college students stood outside waiting for the library to open. Patton stepped aside and allowed them in, and he greeted each and every person with a quick “hello” as they passed by. Some he knew by name, and others eluded him.

The library soon bustled with silent activity, and Patton buzzed around tables. He preferred to assist those who were looking for something rather than sit behind the desk. The two librarians had a different approach to helping others. Patton usually aided those who weren’t afraid to ask questions and enjoyed social interaction while Logan gathered shy and reserved students asking where a book was and nothing more.

They really did make a great team.

As Patton strode around the library, he picked up a conversation between two college students about the two masked heroes in the city.

“-has any idea who they are,” one student said.

“Well, if you were a superhero, you wouldn’t want people knowing who you are. Then they’d go after your family.”

“Well, yeah, I guess so when you put it that way, but what even is the point of having powers if you don’t use them to show off every once and awhile? Someone has to know who they are.”

“Well unless they Tony Stark us, I don’t think we’ll ever know-”

“Patton,” a voice called behind him and made him jump. 

Patton turned and gave a wide smile as he greeted, “Dr. Picani! It’s nice to see you.”

“And you as well.“

“Wait, you usually let Logan and I run the library on Saturday.” Patton wrinkled his brow. “Another hard case?”

Dr. Picani blew through his nose and nodded his head He tapped the book titled “Overcoming Phobias: A Practical Guide” and sighed. “I’ve tried everything. I don’t understand. There has to be something I’m missing, something they’re not telling me. I’m starting to wonder if it’s really eleutherophobia or something deeper.”

“Well, you can’t make people open up about their problems,” Patton said. _’I should know,’ _he wanted to add.

Dr. Picani ran a hand through his hair. “There are ways, but I don’t like using them.”

“Like?”

“Like trying to hit a sore spot.”

“You mean, like purposely antagonizing them?”

“More so like reading something on their character, say a concerning bruise.” Dr. Picani rose a brow, and Patton let out a nervous laugh.

“Yeah, well, good luck,” Patton said and allowed the psychiatrist to go about his business. He mozied around the library a few more times before his stomach rumbled.

“Logan, I’m going on a lunch break,” Patton announced, “Be back in a half hour.”

“Of course,” Logan responded, “Enjoy your break.”

Patton smiled and grabbed his satchel on the counter. As he exited the library floor, he accidentally bumped into a person’s shoulder.

“Oh, I’m sorry,” Patton apologized.

“No, don’t worry about it,” the person responded and brushed off a scuffled shoulder. “I wasn’t really watching where I was going.”

Patton’s eyes widened. “Wait, you’re Professor Sanders. You work at Sidestone Academy and anchor on the Sidestone 9:00 news.”

The person paused before giving a less than satisfying smile and answered, "Yep, that’s me!”

“Gosh, this is- it’s nice to meet you,” Patton greeted and offered his hand out to shake.

Thomas responded, “Nice to meet you too, uh-”

“Patton.”

Thomas smiled and took Patton’s hand. “Hello, Patton.”

“Is there anything I can help you with?”

“No, not really,” Thomas said with a shrug, “I’m just here to look around and learn some things. You know, library stuff.”

“Oh. Well, I hope you find something interesting to look at.”

“I’ll try my best.”

Thomas watched Patton leave and approached the front desk where Logan sat. The elder librarian looked up from his book, put it to the side, and folded his fingers.

“Yes, can I help you?” Logan asked.

“I’m looking for a book on genetic abnormalities,” Thomas informed. “You know, like mutations of the DNA and stuff.”

Logan pushed his glasses up his nose and responded, “Well, there’s a biology book in the back that might assist you. Please follow me.”

Logan led Thomas through the winding books in the library to the science and biology section. He climbed the ladder and located the book in question.

“The Deviance Gene” written by Nina Deviance,” Logan read aloud and tossed it down to Thomas.

Thomas caught the book and examined the cover. Slender fingers slid over the letters and a grin widened on chapped lips.

“Goodness golly, thanks so much.”

Logan stepped down the ladder. “Your sudden interest wouldn’t happen to have piqued with the revelation of the two superheroes you’ve been covering as of late, would it?”

Thomas’s sheepish smile answered him. 

Logan continued, “I can assure you, I’ve read through every book in this library, and not one of them has the answers you seek.”

Thomas deflated a bit. Disappointed fingers tapped the spine of the book.

“But there has to be some reason people have special powers. I know they’re not the only ones. They’re just the only ones brave enough to show it.”

“I’m sure there are,” Logan said and adjusted his glasses, “however, not enough scientific research has been done on the idea of superhuman abilities or how they surface in a person’s genetic code. It’s a fairly new openly discussed concept that started to appear after the comic book age. The theory is that these genetic mutations have always existed within society, but we have either chosen to ostracize them or pretend they have not existed prior.”

Thomas did his best to follow along. Displeased eyes stared down at the book, and Thomas handed it over to Logan.

“Okay, well thanks for trying,” Thomas said and sent a sad smile. “You seem to know what you’re talking about when it comes to this deviant stuff.”

Logan wished to explain all he knew, but he knew for safety reasons that was an absolutely horrible idea. 

Thomas offered a hand to shake. “It was nice meeting you… uh-”

“Logan will do.”

“Logan it is then,” Thomas said with a smile. Logan checked to make sure his hand was gloved and shook Thomas’s hand. Thomas wished him a good day and disappeared out the front door. 

Logan sighed and walked back to the front desk. He wondered how long he could get away with claiming he kept his hands covered due to a skin condition. What he wouldn’t give just to touch someone else like a normal person. 

The library doors burst open, causing Logan to jump and several people to look up from their studies.

“Logan!”

“Please, Roman, this is a library,” Logan hissed through his teeth.

“Oh, sorry,” Roman said with a harsh whisper. He ran up to Logan and squealed with excitement. “You’ll never guess who just landed a position at Sidestone Daily News.”

“You?”

“Me!” Roman cried out and threw his hands up in the air. Logan shushed him again. Roman continued, “Oh, I’m so excited! I never thought I’d live to see the day where I was accepted as a journalist. Well, I mean, of course they would accept me. I’m the best of the best. But still, I never thought this day would finally come! All that hard work has finally paid off!”

“So I’ll consider this as your resignation from crashing in my apartment,” Logan asked.

Roman paused and creased his brow. “What, you don’t like me rooming with you?”

“Overall you’re a tolerable roommate, but I have my moments where I’d appreciate peace and quiet,” Logan mumbled.

Roman put his hands on his hips and tilted his head to the side. “Well, I’ll have you know that with my new salary, we’d be able to move into a new apartment together in a penthouse, and then you can have all the peace and quiet you want.”

“You can’t possibly be making that much.”

“Not yet, but when I become Editor in Chief we definitely will.”

Logan snuffed. “What makes you think you’d get that position so quickly?”

“You just wait,” Roman said and shook the morning paper at him. “I’ll have so many people reading my articles that they’ll have no choice but to promote me.”

“Some days I wish I had your confidence.”

“Oh I know, but this confidence is a heavy responsibility.”

“I wasn’t being sincere, Roman.”

“Nuance.” Roman turned on his heel and strolled toward the exit. “I shall see you sometime tonight if my new job doesn’t keep me until midnight. Have a wonderful day.”

Logan ran a hand over his face and sighed. At least Roman’s new job meant he’d be leaving Logan in peace for the evening hours again. Though, Logan wouldn’t admit he enjoyed the soft sound of Roman’s voice filling the apartment with music. It was one thing he loved about Roman. He turned back behind the desk, flipped through the pages of the book he was reading, and tried to find his place once again. 

For at least thirty minutes, by some miracle, he read uninterrupted. He was just getting into the good part too when Patton hurried up to the desk. Logan sighed. He’d never get any reading done at this rate.

“Welcome back.“

“Lo,” Patton said as he flashed his eyes around, “We gotta go.”

“What? Why?”

Patton handed him a notepad. Logan read an address and the word “fire” in capital letters.

Logan nodded his head, picked up his backpack, and hastened out from behind the desk. Patton darted through the library at a normal human pace until he found the person he sought.

“Dr. Picani!” He cried out.

Dr. Picani looked up at him and sent a cheerful smile. “Oh, hello there Patton.”

“Can you do us a favor and run the front desk? It’s an emergency.”

“Oh,” Dr. Picani slowly nodded his head. “Yes, of course. Are you two going to be alright?”

“I’ll let you know when we get back. Okay, thanks, bye!” Patton ran off without another word. He and Logan hurried out of the library and took off down the street.

“How long?” Logan asked.

“Not long.”

“Any civilians inside?”

“As of right now, I don’t know.”

The two of them turned the corner and slipped into an alleyway to cut to the fire quicker. The smoke hung thick in the air like a translucent beacon. Logan pulled Patton behind a dumpster and peeked around the side.

“I’m going to gather information,” Logan spoke.

“Please be careful.”

Logan snuck out as a casual civilian. He removed the white glove from his left hand and brushed it against one of the spectators.

The spectator in question drew their hand back and sent a disgusted look at Logan.

“My apologies,” Logan said and slipped away from the scene. He put his glove back on and joined Patton at the garbage can, who was practically vibrating with excitement already. He had already gotten into his costume. 

“So what happened?” Patton asked.

“From what I gathered, there was a loud explosion from the building right before it burst into flames. Several people have made it out of the building unharmed,” Logan informed.

“But was it everyone?”

“I’m unsure. I’d have to get closer to the scene to figure it out.”

“Then let’s go!”

“No Patton, wait!” Logan hissed and reached out to grab him, but the slippery speedster had already darted out into the crowd.

–

From what the firefighters could tell, the building burned for almost ten minutes before they arrived at the scene. The chief ordered his crew to stay alert for any survivors in the building. Several residents made it out, and they all gave the same story. A strong smell of gas leaked into the building before a large explosion.

The building groaned. Those on the ground level worried the building would fall before their comrades could make it out. The fire chief paced back and forth, listening to make sure his crew was safe and counted for.

“Well, this building is bursting with excitement,” a voice said behind him.

The chief turned toward the voice, “Who-”

The man behind him didn’t wear a fancy costume, but it was easily recognizable. The white turtleneck had a blue heart on it, and he wore thick goggles that were tinted pink. His pants were plain blue with a white stripe down the side, and the bottom of his black boots were at least 4 inches thick.

“Palpitation,” the chief sighed in relief.

“That’s me! So, is there anyone still trapped inside?”

“We’re checking to make sure everyone is out now,” the firefighter responded.

A loud groan broke through the screaming crowd, and a section of the building began to crumble. 

Palpitation sprinted forward. He vaguely heard the chief tell everyone to get out of the building. He pushed pieces of debris out of his way as he ran through the burning building. To the average eye, the building crumbled all around them, but to him, it fell five times slower.

Someone’s warped scream sounded above him. He hurried to the stairs and climbed them. They cracked under his weight, which was never a good sign, and he hurried to the third floor before they split. 

Palpitation honed in on the scream. He entered a room on the third floor and caught a firefighter with their hand outstretched. A child hid under the table and covered their ears. Palpitation could feel his own oxygen running out as he darted forward and grabbed the child. He then turned and picked up the firefighter as well.

The ground beneath him cracked, and more and more ceiling bits fell. Palpitation ran to the stairs and found most of them starting to break apart. He quickly but cautiously climbed down the stairs and onto the second floor.

He thought they were home free. However, the steps to the first floor had already broken apart from the force of his ascent.

Palpitation ran down the hall on the second floor. He opened one of the broken windows and pushed both the firefighter and the child through the hole. A fire escape awaited outside. He descended the stairs as bits from the top floors splintered and showered them. Palpitation took a breath of fresh air. He descended the fire escape as quickly as possible.

Time started to return to a normal pace. Palpitation hit the last stair as the rest of the building crumbled behind him. He stopped and examined the debris, painfully aware that he and two other people almost went down with it.

Several paramedics came up to him to assist the firefighter and check the child for injuries. The child clung to Palpitation’s shoulder like a lifeline and wouldn’t let anyone else close to them.

“Hey, easy there,” Palpitation spoke as he rubbed soothing circles on the child’s back. “You’re safe now. These guys are only trying to help you. I know they look scary, but trust me, kiddo, they’re okay.”

The child lifted their head out from the crook of Palpitation’s neck and looked into his eyes. Their bright brown eyes glistened with tears. 

Palpitation reached up and rubbed the tears away with his ashen finger. He continued, “It’s going to be okay.”

A man wearing a black polo with a drawn in white light bulb on it, black slacks, and black dress shoes excused himself through the crowd and came to Palpitations side. Even though he was wearing a black mask that shaded his eyes like sunglasses, Palpitation could see the panic in his eyes. The other hero removed one of his black gloves and walked around Palpitation’s back so he was facing the child.

“May I touch you?” He asked.

The child stirred and peeked over the side of Palpitation’s shoulder. Their head perked up more as they realized they were staring at another superhero.

“Intuition,” they breathed out.

Intuition quirked a smile and he held up his ungloved hand.

“I don’t want to hurt you. I merely want to hold your hand. May I?”

The child’s grip on Palpitations neck slowly released, and they held out their hand. Intuition realized there was no way the child would be able to hold his hand at this angle, so he offered his index finger. The child squeezed onto it with all their might.

“You’re very strong, Evan,” Intuition spoke.

The child’s eyes widened. “You know my name?”

“I do,” Intuition said with a smile. “I also know you were very brave. I’m sure being in a fire like that was rather upsetting.”

Evan nodded. Palpitation looked over his free shoulder to catch Intuition’s gaze, a soft smile pulling at his lips.

Intuition continued, “These paramedics want to make it easier for you to breathe, but I’m going to tell them you hurt your ankle when you fell as well. Is that okay?”

Evan’s stunned lips parted as they asked, “How did you know I fell?”

“It’s one of my gifts. If I touch someone’s skin, I can learn almost anything about them,” Intuition answered. Evan’s grip slowly released from Intuition’s finger.

“Okay,” Evan answered Intuition’s question and released Palpitations neck. 

The paramedics worked to take Evan from Palpitations arms. They sent a thankful smile to both of the superheroes and began their work.

Intuition returned his glove to his hand and grabbed onto Palpitation’s shoulder. His voice was low as he whispered, “You rush into a fire like that again and I will make sure you never see another day of hero work in your lifetime.”

“Aww, come on, Intuition! If I waited, who knows what would’ve happened to Evan,” Palpitation said with more enthusiasm than Intuition would’ve liked.

“I’m going to speak to the paramedics about Evan’s condition. There’s a pain in Evan’s ribs that I’m concerned about.”

“Kay,” Palpitation said as Intuition walked over to the paramedics. He turned to several microphones shoved into his face. Different questions popped up at once, ranging from how he knew about the fire to how he got both people out of the building by himself.

“Slow down there. I know I’m quick witted, but I can’t answer you all at once,” Palpitation informed them with a small chuckle. 

“Palpitation, what tipped you off about the fire?” one reporter asked.

“Well, I use the 911 app on my phone. It comes in handy when you’re busy at work,” Palpitation answered.

“A lot of people relied on this building for a home. What do you plan to do to make sure they are given a place to stay?” another asked.

“Um,” Palpitation scratched his hair. “Well, we could definitely start a Go-Fund-Me page or something. I wish I could pay for them to get a hotel somewhere, but I’m kind of not exactly rich.”

“Palpitation, some controversy has started to form. People are talking about how unsafe they feel knowing two deviants are running around in our city. What do you have to say to the prejudice comments?” 

Palpitation looked through the crowd of reporters and caught Intuition’s eyes. The other superhero watched his every move, and suddenly Palpitation got rather nervous.

“Gee, fellas, I’d love to talk more, but Intuition and I have to get back to work. A hero’s job is never done.”

With a wink, Palpitation ran to Intuition’s side, picked him up bridal style, and took off down the road, leaving a cheering crowd and scattered papers in the city’s dust.

–

“You could’ve gotten hurt.”

“Oh come on, Logan. There was no way something could fall on me. I’m too quick.”

“We didn’t have enough information on the situation. How did you know there was anyone inside?”

“Well,” Patton paused, “sometimes you just gotta trust your intuition.”

Logan slammed a book cover harder than necessary. He slid it to his right on the desk and sighed through his nose.

“If you had gotten hurt-” Logan cut himself off. He didn’t need to imagine Patton’s body carried off on a stretcher.

“Logan,” Patton furrowed his brow. “I’m not weak. I can handle myself. I know you’re worried about me, but I hoped you’d trust me a little more.”

Logan put the stack of books down with a heavy plop and readjusted his glasses.

“I do trust you, Patton, and I’m sorry if it feels as if I’m doubting you. I’m just not good with…”

“Not knowing stuff,” Patton finished.

“Precisely.”

“And I’m not good with people worrying about me, Lo. It just feels… weird.”

Logan sighed, folded his arms, and leaned on his elbows.

“I know, but people care about you, Patton. Perhaps you should let someone take care of you every once and a while instead of carrying your burdens alone.”

Patton hummed and grabbed a few books. He turned to walk toward the bookshelves when the library door opened, drawing his attention.

“I’m sorry, but the library is closed,” Logan announced.

The man in question pulled a lollipop from his mouth and clicked his tongue. “Darn. I could’ve sworn I had a few more hours until this place closed.”

Logan narrowed his eyes. That voice sounded familiar, but he was sure he never met the stranger. He wondered if they were an infrequent library visitor. 

“We open again tomorrow at 8 in the morning if you want to come by later,” Patton spoke up with a smile.

The man looked over his shades and dug around in his pocket.

“Nah, I’m not here to learn something. I’m here to teach you something.”

Logan stiffened. Before he could warn Patton, the man held an envelope out in Patton’s direction.

“Here,” the man spoke, “I’m supposed to give you this. Don’t know what it says, but it’s not my business anyway.”

Patton furrowed his brow and started to rip the envelope open. Logan grabbed Patton’s hand, stopping him from continuing.

“And how do we know we can trust you?” Logan asked.

The man shrugged. “You don’t. I guess you just gotta trust your intuition.”

Patton and Logan both stiffened. Before they could ask questions, the man gave a wink over his sunglasses and hurried out of the library doors. 

An eerie silence overshadowed the pounding of their hearts.

Patton glanced down at the envelope in his hand. He slipped his finger under the flap and slowly opened it. After sharing a quick glance with Logan, he pulled the letter out of the envelope and read through it.

“Dear Logan and Patton. I heard you wanted to help the survivors in the fire but did not have the funds to do so. I’d like to help. Tomorrow evening, after the library closes, I will send my team to pick you up for negotiations. I hope you’ll consider my offer.” Patton turned the letter over in his hand. “That’s strange. There’s no name.”

“It has to be a trick,” Logan growled. He took the paper from Patton’s hands and read over it himself.

Patton leaned over his shoulder and creased his brow.

“Wait, Logan, look,” Patton said as he took the letter from Logan’s hand. He tilted it left and right. The library lights glimmered over invisible letters, and by moving the paper back and forth, a name revealed itself.

“Deceit,” Logan read out loud.

“I never heard of them,” Patton said. “Maybe it’s some sort of alias?”

“Perhaps.” Logan walked away from Patton and kept his eyes trained on the paper.

“Do you think we should go? I mean, if this person already knows who we are…”

“I think a proper meeting is in order,” Logan finished. “If nothing more than seeing what exactly this person is after. Besides, it’d be in our best interest to figure out how they knew who we are.”

Patton nodded his head. He glanced at the door where the man in shades disappeared from.

“Let’s just hope they’re friendly.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Waiting is hard. Finding ways to pass the time while you wait is harder. But sometimes, it's better to be patient than jump into trouble headfirst.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Warnings: fire mention (from the previous chapter), texting anxiety, loss of consciousness, kidnapping, threats of violence, unwanted flirting  
Word Count: 4434

“I can’t believe it! I was right there, and I didn’t get a single word out of them,” Roman whined as he flopped onto the couch. He put an arm over his eyes. “To think, Intuition and Palpitation were talking to the press, and I was in a coffee shop because the barista was hella cute and I couldn’t resist asking for his number.”

Logan lifted Roman’s foot off of his lap and sighed through his nose. He answered, “With the recent crime spike, I’m sure you’ll get your big opportunity to talk to them sooner than you think.”

“I know, but I wanted to talk to them today.”

“It’s all in the past now.“

Roman groaned. "I suppose you’re right. I was just so excited to get the latest story. I just need a chance to prove I’m worth something, you know?”

Logan hesitated. “Why don’t you get some rest? You have a busy day ahead of you tomorrow.”

Roman sighed and took his arm off his eyes.

“I guess it is rather late.” Roman stood up from the couch and walked back to his room. He paused in the doorway and looked back at Logan. After drawing a deep breath, he continued, “I really do want to repay you for everything you’ve done for me, and I swear to you, I will.”

“You just worry about keeping your nose out of trouble,” Logan responded.

Roman snorted. “Since when have you and I bothered to keep our noses out of trouble?”

Memories brought a smile to Logan’s face. He shook his head. 

“Good night, Roman,” Logan said with a genuine small smile. 

Roman glanced down at the floor before nodding his head and closing the door with a gentle click.

Logan leaned back on the couch. He looked up at the ceiling and blinked several times.

Perhaps he should follow his own advice. He and Patton were essentially walking into a situation where they could not control the outcome, and who knew if Deceit’s intentions were pure? Should he and Patton take the risk or ignore the stranger’s invitation? Whether they ignored it or not, somehow this person figured out their secret identities, and that was dangerous in itself. 

Logan was already too far into trouble to keep his nose out of it now.

With a sigh, Logan made up his mind. He’d rather find out who sent the letter first. Then, tomorrow, he could politely decline the offer if need be. Logan turned on the television and flipped to the news. He cursed his luck as the fire popped up onto the screen.

_”-when crews arrived at the scene. Thankfully no one was hurt thanks to the swift actions of Palpitation. The historic building, however, was not so fortunate. It fell into ruin just as the last victims escaped the blaze. No one knows who or what started the fire, but an investigation has been launched. I’m Thomas San-”_

Logan turned off the television and rubbed his eyes with his fingers. If no one reported on the fire earlier, that would mean whoever figured out who they were was following them. How long were they tracking Logan and Patton? Did they know where they were right now? Were they safe in their own homes? Were the people associated with them safe anymore? Dr. Picani, Roman, Virgil, their family, and all the other names that could fall victim to the ramifications of Patton and Logan’s choice sounded off in his head.

Logan’s stomach started to churn. He hated not knowing the answers.

With a full mind and an empty stomach, Logan walked back to his room. After getting into his pajamas, he pulled up his mother’s number and sent a quick text. 

_"Remember to take your medication tonight.”_

He waited for a response. A nervous thumb scrolled up, reading over the same message several times with no response. He thought about calling. He really should have been paying more attention to her. If someone found out she was his mother, they could use her against him. 

However, deep down he knew she had always been like this, not out of malice but because there were many days she was a prisoner in her own mind. 

A message appeared in his inbox, and he quickly scrolled down to read it. A relieved exhale cooled his nerves. 

_Mother: Thank you._

At least she was alive. Even though taking care of her was no longer his responsibility, he still needed to know she was doing well. Old habits died hard. Besides, what was his purpose if he didn’t have someone to care for? Perhaps that’s why he latched onto taking care of Patton so quickly- no, he always took care of Patton. Patton wasn’t filling a void.

Usually anyway. 

Logan folded his glasses and rested them on the counter. He remembered to take his own medication, a single Spironolactone tablet, and tried to get some sleep. He’d need it for the day ahead. 

–

Logan held his head as he tried to concentrate on the book he read. His vision blurred. He rubbed his thumb and forefinger over his eyes for what felt like the one-hundredth time and sighed through his nose. What was he even reading again? The scuffing of sneakers on the carpet caught his attention. Logan sighed and glanced up.

“Patton, you’re going to wear out the carpet.”

Patton looked up and stopped moving for the first time in a half hour. He fiddled with his cardigan sleeves before he nervously laughed.

“Sorry, I just- I’m excited. I want to know who this is and if they really want to help.”

Logan slowly nodded his head. He may not be as in tune with emotions as Patton was, but he knew enough about the younger librarian to recognize Patton’s nervous patterns. The chewed lip, the tapping of his fingers on Logan’s desk, the inability to sit still- well scratch that last one. Patton had never sat still since the day Logan met him. Still, the way Patton’s body tensed and untensed in the shoulders was enough to show Logan his distress.

“When do you think they’ll be here?” Patton asked.

Logan sighed and closed his book. He answered, “I’m unsure. The note said they will come after the library has closed, but the note was not specific about a time they would arrive.”

Patton glanced up at the clock. Two more hours. He pulled out his phone and moved his finger across the screen until it rested on Virgil’s contact information. 

The picture he used for Virgil’s contact picture was so old that Patton barely recognized him. Virgil’s hair was dyed a bright purple. He had gauges in his ears, and the elusive smile he reserved for only Patton at the time crept onto his face. Patton, on the other hand, looked like he hadn’t aged a day since that football game their freshman year. Even his glasses were the same. 

So much had changed, and Patton didn’t realize it until now.

Patton’s finger hovered above the text button. Just a quick text to let Virgil know he was going to be home late. Just a quick text to make him not worry. Just a quick text. Just a quick text. He wouldn’t find him annoying. In fact, he’d probably appreciate it. Just a quick text. He wouldn’t ignore it or shun Patton because of one text. It was just a text to let him know he was going to be late. Just one quick insignificant annoying text.

“Hey, Logan,” Patton asked while he continued to stare at his phone, “do you think I should tell Virgil that I’m going to be a little late? I mean, I don’t want him to worry about me or anything.”

“Ah, that’s an excellent idea. I should probably alert Roman and inform him I will be late as well,” Logan said. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and searched for Roman’s contact. Well, “contact” as his name was filed under “Prep” on Logan’s phone.

Patton sighed through his nose and nodded his head. He started typing two different times, and both times he deleted everything he wrote. Did it really matter at this point whether he talked to Virgil or not? Would he even care? They barely spoke to each other now as it was.

Patton sighed and put the phone back in his pocket. He leaned his back on Logan’s desk, his elbows crinkling a paper, and stared up at the ceiling tiles. Virgil probably wouldn’t even care he was gone, so he might as well just explain himself in the morning when he got home like he always did.

Logan’s phone beeped, and Patton perked up. Logan’s eyebrows furrowed as he stared down at the text.

“Patton, what does this emoji mean?” Logan asked.

Patton turned around and leaned on the counter. He chuckled to himself as a yellow circle blowing a heart appeared on Logan’s screen.

“It’s a kissy face. I think it means he read it and he’s thankful.”

Logan hummed and continued to stare at the phone. Why not just send a confirmation of thanks then?

Patton shifted before he asked, “So are you and Roman- ya know-”

“Absolutely not,” Logan responded. “I guarantee you my feelings for him are the same as when I graduated high school.”

“Which is?”

“Utter contempt.”

Patton frowned. He played with the sleeves wrapped around his neck.

“Well, I think it’s nice you let him room with you even though you hate him.”

Logan sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “It’s not that I hate him per se. It’s that I barely tolerate his presence.”

“Still, you saw someone who needed help and you let him in.” Patton smiled. “I still think that was mighty nice of you, Lo.”

Logan sent a glimmer of a smile and placed his phone back in his pocket. He surveyed the library. 

The normal people who visited bustled about minding their own business, unaware of the distress the two librarians were in. At least, if they were paying attention, they stayed out of their business.

However, Logan did catch the black glint of sunglasses in the far back. He focused his attention on the person sitting on one of the library tables, a phone in hand as they sucked on the straw of a coffee and talked rather loudly to a red headed person sitting behind them. Logan’s blood boiled. That violated about 5 library rules.

The man lowered his shades, catching Logan’s eye, and sent a wink. He went back to texting on his phone.

“Patton,” Logan growled, “I believe the person who approached us last night is sitting at one of the back tables of the library.”

Patton turned his head, and he hummed. “Oh yeah, that does look like him.”

“Don’t you think it’s a little too coincidental that he returns here the same night as we’re supposed to meet up with Deceit when you and I have never recalled seeing him as a regular in the library before?”

“Well yeah, but he said that he was bribed to bring the letter.”

“People lie all the time, Patton.”

“But you shouldn’t assume he’s lying right away. He might be innocent. Besides, it looks like he’s here with somebody. Maybe they came together.”

Logan hummed and continued to keep his attention on the two in the back.

“Stay close to me until we are approached by the people coming for us tonight.”

Patton quirked a brow, but he didn’t inquire further. For the rest of the hour of the library’s opening, he stayed up at the front desk with Logan at his side. The stranger never left the back of the library, and if he was trying to ignore Logan and Patton, he was doing a poor job of it.

At one point, Logan noticed Dr. Picani arrive from the back and start to speak with the stranger. They seemed rather familiar. In fact, Dr. Picani handed a book over to Remy, and Remy started reading it. The two of them sat together and looked through the book as one, and while Logan couldn’t hear the conversation, he was sure it was a friendly one.

Perhaps it was coincidence. Perhaps this stranger was only here to look through books.

Eventually, Dr. Picani took the book and walked toward the front desk.

“Well, I’m heading home, boys. Have a safe evening.”

“Good night, Dr. Picani.”

“Of course, sleep well.”

Dr. Picani gave them a nod, his gaze lingering a little longer on Patton than it probably should have, and exited the library without another word.

At last, the library’s closing time chimed on the clock, and Patton and Logan watched a few stragglers walking out the library doors. A few said a quick goodnight to the two librarians.

One, however, came to the front desk, their smile wide. 

“I thought you said you had no involvement in the letter that we acquired last night,” Logan said as he rose a brow.

“M’kay, no babe. That’s not what I said. I said I didn’t know what it said. Which, I guess can mean that I didn’t have any “involvement” in the letter. I was just the delivery boy.”

Patton struggled to smile. “So, what brings you to the library now?”

“Oh, I’m still the delivery boy,” he replied. 

Patton watched the man pull his hands out of his pockets, wondering if there was another letter. However, his brows knitted together as the stranger’s hands came up empty.

Logan opened his mouth to speak, but the stranger held a finger to his lips.

“Now, now, no sleep talking. Just relax.”

The man waved his hands in the air. Logan watched a golden mist spread from the stranger’s palms. It dispersed around their heads like a cloud. Logan snapped a hand over his mouth and nose. 

Patton, however, sucked in a sharp breath of surprise. His head grew fuzzy, and he became painfully aware of his heart rate slowing down. As he swayed to the side, Logan jumped to catch him before Patton fell and hit his head. 

Logan’s lungs pleaded for air, but he refused to relieve them. He couldn’t risk whatever that dust was infiltrating his lungs. 

“I thought I said to relax,” the man said as he clicked his tongue. “Patton has that part down.”

Logan sent the man a nasty glare. The library doors opened up, and two other people entered. Logan weighed his options. He was strong, but he wasn’t strong enough to carry Patton away and outrun that many people. He may be able to outmatch them by learning their fighting styles, but from the looks of it, they took that precaution and covered every inch of skin on their body so he couldn’t make contact, forcing him to rely on his own skills.

Whoever this Deceit was did their research.

“Look, either I can put you to sleep, or they can punch you until you go to sleep. I’d rather you not get hurt, babe. You’re too pretty,” the stranger spoke.

Logan’s lungs burned. At this rate, he’d either pass out from lack of air or due to the group of strangers slowly surrounding the two of them. Either way, he didn’t see him making it out of this consciously.

The man took off his sunglasses and folded them up. He looked up at Logan, his eyes glowing a light golden color, and sent a quirked smile. 

“Alright, if you prefer to stare, then just stare. I’m a man of many talents.”

Logan lowered his eyebrows. The patterns in this person’s eyes were not human. They swirled about as if the insides of his eye danced on their own. Logan found the longer he looked, the harder it was to look away. He felt his muscles relax. His heartbeat slowed down, and the thoughts in his head became cotton clouds. 

“That’s it,” the man whispered. “Relax Logan. Listen to my voice. Now, go to sleep.”

Logan recalled the earth spinning around until he landed on something soft like he fell from the library floor directly onto a bed. His eyes finally closed, and the world ceased to exist.

–

Before Logan opened his eyes, he realized several things were out of place all at once. The sheets beneath his hands were too smooth. The pillow against his head was too soft. The light smell of lavender and vanilla greatly contrasted the smell of Roman’s berry scented cologne. His tongue became sandpaper. The gentle ticking of a grandfather clock beat the seconds away.

Slowly Logan opened his eyes.

The room had ivory colored walls with several paintings decorating them. Logan sat up. The room had no windows and one door on the far side of the room. A fireplace sat cold against the left wall, right next to the grandfather clock. The bed looked big enough for six people, and Logan pulled his legs close to his chest. 

Where in the world was he?

Logan’s heart raced. He patted his pockets and found his phone missing. Not only that, but his shoes were missing as well. Logan leaned over the side of the bed and caught sight of fuzzy navy slippers on the hardwood floor.

Logan skipped the slippers and hastened to the door. He put a hand on the golden knob and gave a twist. Locked? Of course it was locked. Why was he surprised it was locked? Logan took a step back and ran a hand over the smooth white painted door. He recalled the events that happened prior, trying to figure out how he and Patton arrived here in this strange- wait where was Patton? 

“Patton?” Logan questioned aloud. He turned around and examined the room once again. Goosebumps rose on his arms. He tried again. “Patton are you here?”

Silence never boded well.

Logan took a deep breath in and out. Everything was going to be fine. He’d find Patton eventually when someone realized Logan was awake, he was sure of it. Patton could charm his way into anyone’s heart. All Patton had to do was be himself, and he’d have the people who abducted them eating out of the palm of his hands.

Logan gave one more test tug of the doorknob and sighed. He walked over to the bed and sat down on the soft comforter. His hands ran along the silk. Whoever decided to summon them here had expensive taste. Logan folded his legs together criss-cross on the bed and closed his eyes.

All he could do now was wait.

After the grandfather clock chimed three times, counting at least 45 minutes since Logan woke up, a key clicked in the door handle. Logan opened his eyes. He steeled his expression and prepared himself for the worst.

The door opened, and the man in the black shades stepped into the room. He closed the door behind him, took a deep breath, and cleared his throat.

“Did you sleep well, honey?” the stranger asked.

Logan glared in response.

The stranger checked to make sure the door was locked before he joined Logan on the bed and mirrored his sitting position. From this distance, Logan noticed the man’s sunglasses were cracked, and he had a slow forming bruise on his cheek.

“Who are you?” Logan asked.

“Oh, yeah, I guess I never officially introduced myself or anything,” he said with a snort. “Name’s Remy, but people around here call me Nightlight.”

“Are you a superhero as well?”

“Kinda.” Another laugh. “I’m more like an insurance card. Ya know, someone to make sure people follow my boss’s orders.”

“So you lied. You did know what was in that letter.”

“Wow, babe, I already told you that I didn’t know what was in it. That’s none of my business. I just have to make sure I follow my orders and everything turns out golden. And I mean, I know I like gossip, but ya know, sometimes it’s just not worth it knowing, ya know?”

Logan narrowed his eyes.

Remy sucked in a breath through his teeth. “Yikes, I think I’ll take my chances with Patton.”

“Where is he?”

“Oh don’t worry. No one hurt Patton. Patton on the other hand- let’s just say he wasn’t too happy when he woke up and you weren’t with him.”

“I asked where is he,” Logan said through his teeth.

“Wow, girl, relax,“ Remy purred. Logan flinched as if the comment struck him. "He’s asleep in another room. No need to get your undies in a twist because your boyfriend isn’t here.”

“He’s my cousin.”

“Oh,” Remy hummed, “Then I call dibs.”

“You will do no such thing!”

“It’s a joke, geez, lighten up.”

“I don’t find toying with Patton’s affection funny.”

“Like I care what you think about toying with people’s affection. Besides, with the way he decked me, I don’t think a first date is in the question.”

Logan’s lips quirked into a smirk. So that’s what happened to Remy’s cheek.

Remy sighed and hopped off the bed. He walked over to the door and stuck the key in. With a twist, it unlocked. Remy looked over his shoulder, rose his eyebrows, and lowered his eyelids.

“Ya know, for someone who was so upset about where Patton was, you would think that person would follow me.”

Logan creased his brow. He slid his legs over the side of the bed to join him.

“Oh, babe, the slippers. It’s kinda a rule here that no one runs around in socks.”

With a quick glance down, Logan noticed Remy wearing a pair of white slippers with coffee cups all over them. Patton would’ve found them adorable. Logan grabbed the plain blue slippers beside the bed and slid them onto his feet. He didn’t know whether to be impressed or concerned that they were the exact size of his feet.

Logan followed Remy out the door. The next room was twice the size of his apartment. The hardwood floor shined like a layer of ice frosted it. A large fireplace burned on the far side. Two white couches seated on top of a red and gold Persian rug nestled beside the fire. The ceiling, which went up two floors, had three chandeliers hanging from the top. A wooden railing stopped people from falling from the walkway to the second floor. House plants decorated the corners. A large window covered by thin white lace curtains rose between the two floors.

Logan hastened over to the window and looked out. The view of the city stole his breath away. They must’ve been at least 20 floors up. Lights glowed in the night. Cars passed and beeped below them like mechanical windup cars on a child’s playset. 

“Nice view, huh?” Remy asked as he joined Logan’s side. “Bet you still have no idea where we are though.”

“It looks like we’re in the uptown area, I’d guess somewhere between the police station and the park. If I’m not mistaken, that’s a sign for Granny’s Pastries, a bakery that sits two blocks down from the police station. Then there’s Wei Market, run by a first generation Chinese-American woman that sells fresh groceries from local farmers. And beside it is Cha-Cha Chai, which can create any coffee or milkshake that one desires.” Logan pushed up his glasses. “I’ve lived in Sidestone my whole life. Do you honestly think I couldn’t deduce where I was?”

“Wow, you are super smart,” Remy said with a click of his tongue. He walked over to the side of the window and hit a button. 

The scene in front of Logan flickered. Thick redwood trees surrounded and dwarfed the house. Crickets chirped, owls hooted, and the wind rustled the tree leaves. Stars peeked through the canopy. The only source of strong light came from the full moon.

Logan’s jaw slowly opened as Remy’s smile widened.

“Or, ya know, we could go underwater,” Remy said as he hit the button again.

The window now shifted to an all blue color. Tropical fish swam around them, and some even came up to the window. The coral reef sparkled in the sunlight. Calls of whales and dolphins echoed through the water.

“Bet you still have no idea where we are,” Remy repeated with a laugh. 

“I can always find out from you if I want to,” Logan said as he held up a hand and removed one of his gloves.

“Yeah, but where’s the fun in that? Besides, I didn’t go through the trouble of bringing you here while you were asleep just for you to find out by using your gift.” Remy walked over to one of the many white doors in the room. “Hey, if you’re ready, you can go see Patton now, but I think he’s still asleep.”

Logan stared at the screen a moment longer before following Remy. 

Remy stuck a key in the keyhole and unlocked the door. He took a deep breath, fidgeted, and glanced at Logan out of the corner of his eye.

“Why don’t you go first. Ya know, so you’re like the first thing he sees when he wakes up.”

Logan sighed through his nose and stepped through the door. The room mirrored the one he occupied when he arrived, almost perfectly so like someone hit copy and paste. 

Patton laid on his right side on the bed. His glasses were skewed but still on his face, which sunk deep into the feather pillow below.

Logan breathed a sigh of relief seeing Patton asleep. He made his way over to the bed and sat on the edge. Gloved fingers wove through Patton’s hair. 

“When will he wake up?” Logan asked, not turning his head away.

“Beats me,” Remy said with a shrug. “I mean, I did hit him pretty hard with the sleep dust, so it might be an hour before he wakes up. It could be 30 minutes. I don’t always have an exact measurement.”

“If it’s alright with you, I’d like to stay with him until he wakes.”

“Hey, as long as it keeps him from going crazy again, I don’t really care.” Remy backed out of the room. “Sooo I’ll go tell the boss that you’re awake and everything.”

Logan didn’t look up nor answer. Remy rolled his eyes, shut the door, and locked it with a sound click.

The clock ticked away the silence.

Logan sighed and gave a breathy laugh. He whispered to himself, “I suppose all that’s left to do now is wait.”


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Logan and Patton finally figure out who this mysterious Deceit person is and what they want. Well... almost.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Warnings: small fist fight, loss of consciousness, extreme hunger, dizziness, eating, lying  
Word Count: 4506

For what felt like an eternity- though obviously not as the clock only chimed twice- Logan sat and stroked his fingers through Patton’s hair. He contemplated removing his gloves. Patton’s hair always felt like puppy fur, and every time Logan asked what his secret was, Patton would smile and never give him a straight answer.

However, Logan hated touching others without permission. He used to be completely open to the idea, but as he grew older, he learned to respect other people’s privacy. Some secrets were better left hidden. Some truths about loved ones were too horrible to witness. Logan could’ve cursed his insatiable morbid curiosity. He always wanted to know why his father left without looking back, but… but the hatred in his father’s eyes toward a woman he once loved, the hand threatening to strike but never flinching, and the silent slam of the door closing his father off from the rest of his once happy family was too much for Logan to process. 

Still… the fact that Remy had a bruised cheek piqued Logan’s interest in that horrible way. What did he say to Patton that would make the otherwise passive man violent? His hand hovered over Patton’s hair.

A little peek wouldn’t hurt… right? Patton wouldn’t mind.

Besides, using his hands to touch Patton had been something he’d done his whole life. While he hated using his abilities unless absolutely necessary, learning about Patton held a certain nostalgia to it.

His aunt used to use Logan to tell what Patton needed. Logan could easily grasp Patton’s hand and tell her if Patton was hungry, bored, or just fussy. He practically grew up holding Patton’s hand. Though, once he saw his aunt for the person she was, he wished he would’ve held Patton’s hand all the way into his home so that woman could never touch him again.

In a way, Patton was the only family Logan had left. 

Logan removed his left glove from his hand. He placed the glove on his lap and rested his hand on Patton’s head. Gentle fingers wove through soft waves. His fingertips brushed up against Patton’s scalp, and intense anger gripped his muscles and quickened his heart.

_–_

_Patton awoke in a room with no idea where he was. He looked around, called out Logan’s name a few times, and ran over to the door. His fist pounded twice on solid oak._

_“Hello? Is anyone out there? Hey, open the door!”_

_He jiggled the doorknob and pounded again. The door clicked. Patton backed up as Remy cracked the door open._

_“Well, good morning, sunshine. Did you sleep well?” Remy asked with a grin. He stepped all the way inside and closed the door behind him._

_“Where’s Logan?” Patton asked._

_“Relax, he’s safe. There’s no need to get up-”_

_“If you hurt him I swear-”_

_“Patton, babe, chill out. No one hurt Logan. Now, let’s just-”_

_“I will fight you until you tell me where he is.”_

_“Okay, first off, no one’s gonna help you with that attitude, babe. Save the tough guy act for the bad guys.”_

_Patton grabbed onto Remy’s jacket collar. He pulled him in so they were practically nose to nose and growled through his teeth._

_“You are the bad guy right now.”_

_Remy’s lips floundered. He put his hands on Patton’s wrists._

_“Whoa, time out! I swear I’m on your side, but I’m starting to wonder if it’s worth it.”_

_“Tell me where Logan is. Now.”_

_“Okay, okay, wow. First off, he’s asleep. Second off, you better get your hands off me,” Remy balled his hands into fists, “or there’s gonna be a fight, and I swear you’ll lose.”_

_Patton slowly started to let Remy go. Remy straightened out his jacket and snuffed through his nose._

_Remy muttered under his breath, “I wouldn’t bang someone like him anyway.”_

_Patton grabbed Remy’s collar once again and punched him in the face. Remy cried out. Patton kept his grip on the other side of Remy’s jacket, stopping him from falling backward. The corner of Remy’s glasses fractured. _

_Patton readied his fist for another blow. Remy raised his hand in front of Patton’s face. The sleep dust poured from his palm. It circled around Patton’s head, and Patton coughed. He released Remy’s coat, and his eyelids grew heavy. Before he knew it, he was falling-_

–

Logan drew his fingers away from Patton’s hair. He never expected Patton to punch someone on his behalf. If he didn’t see it through Patton’s memories, he’d never believe it. Part of him wished he could read Patton’s thoughts to find out what aggravated him so badly, but the other half knew Patton had a protective streak in him that reared its head from time to time. Virgil found that out firsthand.

Patton stirred beside him. His head nuzzled into Logan’s leg, and Logan observed as Patton drew his legs toward his chest and closer to Logan’s lap.

Logan couldn’t help the smile that spread across his lips. He moved his hand to Patton’s shoulder, noting the chill from Patton’s bare arm. His smile slipped away. 

If Patton was cold, his metabolism had eaten up all the food in his system, meaning he would be drained of energy by the time he woke up. Patton’s stomach growled rather loudly, overpowering the ticking of the clock. He groaned in his sleep. 

The speedster always kept some granola bars and other light snacks to help himself out when he got too hungry. Logan looked around, but he couldn’t find Patton’s bag anywhere. Of course they wouldn’t bring the bag with the two of them. Why would they?

Patton’s eyelids fluttered open. His body grew goosebumps, but he barely had enough energy to shiver. 

“Good morning,” Logan greeted.

Patton moaned again. He pressed his forehead into Logan’s thigh, and his hand gripped onto Logan’s jeans. 

“No morning,” Patton whined.

Logan shook his head. He slipped his glove back onto his hand.

“Patton, I need you to wake up. Your energy levels have grown too low, and you need to eat something.”

“Too tired.”

Logan moved away from Patton, causing the younger one to whine even louder and grip onto the warm blankets where Logan had been. He attempted to roll over with the blanket to nest in, but he merely flopped onto his back.

“Come on, Patton. I need you to get up.”

“No.”

Logan pinched the bridge of his nose. “Why are you so stubborn?”

“I learned from you.”

“Well then, stay here. I’m going to find out who these people are and what they want with us.”

That opened Patton’s eyes again. He sat up in bed, his face pinching in pain for a moment, and rubbed the sleep from his eyes.

“Okay, I’m up.” He yawned and glared down at the floor.

“What are you looking for?”

“Shoes.”

“There’s slippers here that we’re supposed to wear. My guess is that it stops us from leaving without permission and doubles as protective footwear against the cold.”

Patton pouted. Without the proper footwear, he’d melt the bottom of his shoes from the friction of running. Not that he could run that fast right now, but it helped to be prepared. He glared at the light blue slippers beside the bed like they insulted him.

“Do I have to?”

“Yes, I’m afraid I was informed they are necessary.”

Patton noticed Logan had a similar pair of slippers, though they were navy instead, and placed both feet into his own powder blue ones. He stood up. Patton’s world spun, and he staggered to the side.

Logan caught him before Patton could fall to the floor. 

“Steady.”

Patton pressed all his weight into Logan’s side and rested his head against Logan’s shoulder. His forehead started to sweat, and a headache spread from the back of his neck to his forehead. His stomach growled rather loud again, and Patton pressed a hand to his gut.

“Food.”

“Yes, I’m going to see if they’ll allow you to eat something. Please sit back down and save your energy in the meantime.”

Patton’s grip tightened on Logan’s shirt. Logan tried to separate them, but the more he pushed Patton away, the tighter Patton held on.

“This is not the time to be childish. Release me and sit back down on the bed.”

“You sound like mom.”

The words shouldn’t have stung, but Logan’s heart pinched. He sighed through his nose and shook his head. Patton most likely didn’t mean a word of it, but it still ruffled Logan’s figurative feathers.

“Fine, you may accompany me. However, if you pass out due to lack of energy, it’s your fault.”

“Kay.”

Logan shuffled his feet to the door, both in an attempt for Patton’s feet to catch up and to keep them both upright. He could easily carry Patton, but Patton kept insisting he walked on his own. Logan wondered if it was pride or stupidity at this rate. 

When the two of them finally made it to the door, Logan knocked three times.

“Remy, are you out there? Patton has awoken, and if the time is right, I’d like to know who needed our attendance tonight.”

Logan paused. He held his breath and listened. The grandfather clock ticked louder, and the faint crackle of the fireplace on the other side of the door added to the medley.

Footsteps approached. The door unlocked and cracked open. Patton tensed against Logan’s side. Logan, however, maintained his cool appearance and took two steps back so the door would not hit them.

“Good morning, again,” Remy said as he stepped in. His attention focused on Patton, and he rose a brow. “What’s up with him?” 

“He requires something to eat since he’s consumed too much energy,” Logan explained.

“He had enough energy to slug me the last time he woke up,” Remy chided.

Logan rolled his eyes. “If you wish for Patton to be present while your so-called boss is speaking to us, Patton needs to restart his energy, preferably with dark chocolate or oranges. He expends energy three times faster than us.”

“Alright, I’ll see if I can find something for him to snack on.” Remy stepped out of the doorway and out into the large room. He paused and turned his head, “Hey, he’s not allergic to anything, is he?”

“Not that I’m aware of.”

“Good. In the meantime, you two wait in the living room. I’ll go tell the boss you’re awake too,” Remy said as he walked away and out of sight.

Logan shifted Patton’s weight to a more comfortable position and eased the two of them over to the couches by the fireplace. He sat Patton down on the longer couch, or at least tried to, as Patton drug him down to sit beside him. For having no energy, Patton sure found the strength to cling to Logan like a koala.

The fireplace overtook the ticking sound Logan grew so used to. Its heat brought sweat to his brow as well. Patton, however, turned toward the flame to substitute his own lack of body heat.

After an uncertain amount of time, the door on the far left opened up. Logan twisted his head to see who entered, but he couldn’t get a good look with the position he was stuck in. He sighed and settled back down on the couch. Eventually, they’d show themselves to him anyway. Heels scraped on the floor toward the couch and proved his point.

A feminine person who looked to be in their older thirties walked in front of them, their dark skin glowing in the firelight. Their golden sparkling cocktail dress wove around their neck to mimic a halter top. Gold hoop earrings dangled from their ears. Black bouncy curls wove together and pillowed their head. Their brown eyes smiled as they held out a bowl and a glass toward Logan.

“I heard Palpitation needed a jump start,” they said.

Logan eyed them over. He reached up, took the bowl, and saw a collection of peanuts, cashews, and almonds inside. The orange juice glass had a slice of orange stuck to the rim. He turned his head toward Patton, who had curled in on Logan’s side and fell back to sleep. Logan set the glass down on the coffee table in front of them and nudged Patton’s shoulder.

“Patton, time to wake up,” he spoke in a gentle tone. Patton turned his head, rubbing the sweat from his forehead into Logan’s shirt, and groaned. 

“No,” Patton whined.

“Come on, you need to eat something.”

As if on cue, Patton’s stomach growled. He curled into his stomach as his face pinched in pain.

The stranger creased their brow as a frown settled upon their red painted lips. They asked, “Is he going to be alright?”

“He’s just being dramatic,” Logan replied. “Patton, I will force feed you nuts if you don’t eat them on your own.”

Patton turned his head and gave the most childish pout Logan had ever seen. Patton then glared at Logan as he reached for a handful of nuts. His eyes turned toward the food, and he sat up properly. He started out slow, only popping one nut into his mouth at a time, but as he regained some of his strength, he was shoving handfuls into his mouth.

“Patton, please remember your table manners,” Logan grumbled as he picked crumbs off of the couch.

The stranger laughed and shook their head. “Don’t worry about it. I’ll have someone else clean it up later. Patton needs his energy back.”

Patton’s blue eyes jumped up to meet their own, and he swallowed the mushed food down his throat.

“Are you Deceit?” he asked.

The stranger smiled and leaned back in their chair. “In a way, yes, but in a way, no.”

“What?” Logan said and rose a brow, “You either are or you aren’t. There is no in between.”

The stranger quirked a brow. “What is deception, Logan?”

“The action or practice of concealing information-” he paused, “that was a deception in itself, wasn’t it?”

The stranger shrugged. “That’s for you to decide. I go by many names, but Deceit is one I’m comfortable with you calling me.”

Patton shifted in his seat, now comfortable enough to give Logan some space. He put the finished bowl on the table in front of them and folded his legs criss-cross on the couch.

“So, what did you want us for?” he asked.

Deceit sighed and ran a hand through their hair. “I have a proposition for you both. I heard earlier on the news, you specifically Palpitation, that you wanted to help people but didn’t have the funds to do so. I’d like to be a private investor.”

“An investor?” Logan repeated and rose a brow.

“Yes, you heard right,” they replied. They leaned back in their chair and crossed one leg over the other. “I’d like to pay you for the services you’ve done for this city. It really has become safer with you two around.”

“I’m not so sure about that. Statistically speaking, with the both of us running around to protect the city, it’s much more likely for a stronger force to rise up and oppose us, one that would not occur had we not meddled in the first place.”

“True, but you can’t tell me those firefighters would have saved Evan in time without you.”

Patton’s jaw dropped. “You know Evan?”

“Patton, they probably saw Evan on the news-”

“I do,” they replied. They sucked in a breath, “and imagine what would’ve happened if the two of you weren’t there. We would’ve lost them.”

“So what does paying us have to do with all of this?” Logan asked. “Surely you know by now we’re willing to do it without monetary value.”

“Doesn’t everyone deserve to get repaid for their hard work?” Deceit asked.

Patton replied, “Well, yeah, but we don’t do it for money or fame or anything. We do it because it’s the right thing to do.”

Deceit smiled and hummed. They took the now empty bowl from Patton and set it on the table.

“You know,” they spoke, “I’m sure the city never expected two of its librarians to save the city. It’d be a shame if you ever got hurt and couldn’t afford your medical bills. I can’t imagine the two of you make much.”

Patton shifted uneasily on the couch as Logan narrowed his eyes.

Deceit continued, “And it would be a shame for you two to not get the proper care you deserve in the first place. Besides, once you two start getting big, people are going to start paying attention to you more. They’ll want to find out your secret identities. They’ll start digging, and we all know what happens when a superhero’s identity is found out-”

“Stop,” Logan growled. He stood up on his feet.

Patton watched Logan stand up and challenge Deceit with his glare. He stood up and put a hand on Logan’s chest while forcing a smile.

“Now, now, Logan, I’m sure they’re not implying they’d let our secret out,” Patton said.

Deceit offered a coy smile. “Oh no, sweetie, I would never do that.”

“Says the person who did the exact same digging and brought us here without our consent,“ Logan snapped.

“I’m just showing you how easy and dangerous it is out there for the two of you. If I can do it, what makes you think someone else won’t? You’re going to make enemies if your theory is correct, big enemies, ones that won’t be as courteous as I am.”

Patton shifted his weight from one foot to the other. He asked, “So, what should we do?”

“Take my offer,” they said with a wide smile.

“And how do we know we can trust you?” Logan questioned.

“You don’t,” Deceit said and shrugged, “but you’d be a fool not to trust me at this point. After all, I could’ve easily killed you, but I didn’t, and here we are.”

Logan opened his mouth, but Patton interrupted, “Can we at least think about it?”

“Of course. I didn’t plan on pressuring you to answer right away anyway. However, just know that the longer you wait, the more likely it is that someone is going to get hurt.”

Logan stiffened his jaw. He grabbed onto Patton’s free hand and gave a comforting squeeze.

“Thank you. Now, if you don’t mind, Patton and I would like to go home now so we can discuss the decision we have to make.”

“Of course.” Deceit clapped their hands. “Remy, please come in here. Our guests are ready to leave.”

“Surely you’re not thinking of putting us under the same sleeping spell we arrived here under-”

“Oh, no, Logan honey. I was just going to have Remy bring you your phones.”

Logan took a breath in and held it. He released it soon after and nodded his head.

“And how do we know you haven’t tampered with them in any way?”

They hummed and responded, “I do admit, I did find your numbers to keep you both on tab, you know, for once the two of you decide what you want to do. Nothing more.”

Logan looked ready to question if they could trust Deceit’s words, but he already knew the answer. 

Deceit gave a wink and a nod. 

A golden mist encircled Logan and Patton’s heads. Logan stiffened. He turned as Remy waved his fingers with a devilish smirk. Logan snapped his head back toward Deceit. His lungs constricted. Patton fell to his side, and Logan soon followed.

–

Logan groaned as he woke up under a soft blanket. He cracked his eyes open and realized the room held blobs of color. His glasses sat beside him, and Logan hurried to put them on.

The library. He was back in the library.

Logan sat up, and the blanket pooled around his waist. How did he get here? Events from last night filled his mind, and Logan pinched the bridge of his nose. They tricked them. Again. 

“Patton?” Logan called out. He turned his head from side to side, but the younger librarian was nowhere in sight. Logan’s pulse quickened. “Patton!”

“I’m in the non-fiction section,” Patton called back.

Logan let out a sigh of relief. He stood up, straightened out his shirt and tie, and wandered through the rows of books.

Patton sent him a rather weak smile, “Good morning, Lo. You sleep okay?”

Logan rubbed his hand through his hair. He cast a look around the library to check for intruders and turned his attention back to Patton.

“You’re alright? They didn’t hurt you did they?”

“I’m fine,” Patton said with a smile. He sighed through his nose and replied, “Just a bit rattled I guess.”

“Good. I’m a bit disappointed they’d trick us into returning home. How are we supposed to trust them if they pull stunts like that?”

Patton shrugged. “I mean, they didn’t want us to know where they are, so I guess we have to trust them first for them to let us know that?”

“Well if that was their goal, they are surely doing an ill job gaining my trust,” Logan mumbled. He peeked over Patton’s shoulder and spied a book. His eyebrow rose in question.

“I’ve been trying to figure out who this Deceit person is, but I can’t find anything. It’s like they don’t exist.”

“I’m sure it’s a pen name, Patton.”

“Well, yeah, Deceit even said they go by many names, but aren’t pen names usually something close to a real name, like a pun?”

“Sometimes, yes, but usually they’re made to keep the identity of the author safe until they decide to reveal themselves as the true author, such as in the case of C.S. Lewis writing "A Grief Observed” under the name N. W. Clerk after losing his wife.”

Patton made a hum of acknowledgment and flipped the page of his book.

Logan sighed through his nose. He allowed Patton to look through the book, though he doubted his success rate, and walked back to the front desk of the library. A glance at the time told him it was a little after seven in the morning. The library would be opening in another hour, and both of them had a questionable amount of sleep the night prior. Hopefully, today would not be a busy day in the library.

A buzzing noise caught Logan’s attention. He followed the noise to the front desk. Laying on the counter were both his and Patton’s phones. Logan picked up his phone and examined the messages. The last one he received was from an unknown number. Logan’s finger hovered over the text as he decided whether to open it or not.

_Unknown: Here’s our number. Use it wisely. - Deceit_

Logan rubbed his brow. He clicked on the text below it, which was from Roman, and stared at the message.

_Roman: Hey, Logan, I just got a call from Virgil at three in the morning, which I don’t appreciate, but he’s worried about Patton. You wouldn’t happen to be with him, would you? He sounded upset._

The phone beside his on the counter buzzed, the screen lighting up. Logan caught Virgil’s name briefly on the screen before it went back to sleep.

“Patton,” Logan called out. He heard Patton give a hum of acknowledgment. “Are you aware that Virgil is texting you?”

Silence answered him. Logan strained his hearing. Surely he missed-

“He’s what?” came Patton’s timid reply.

“Your phone has been vibrating, and I noticed when the screen lit up that Virgil’s name appeared on it.”

Another long pause answered him.

“Oh,” Patton said as he peeked out from between the bookshelves. He hurried to his phone and picked it up. For a while, Patton stared at his reflection on the screen. He took a deep breath and tried to swallow.

“Virgil hasn’t messaged me in almost six months,” Patton mumbled.

“You are roommates, are you not? Surely he’s distressed because he noticed your absence last night.”

“I… he might be,” Patton replied. He pushed the power button and stared at the missed notifications. There were several text messages and several missed calls, all from Virgil. Hesitant fingers swiped the screen and opened his text messages.

_Virgil (12:35 am): Yo_

_Virgil (1:03 am): Hey, where are you_

_Virgil (1:32 am): Pat if you’re over at Logan’s house just tell me I really don’t care just tell me_

_Virgil (1:35 am): Dont’ make me call Logan_

_Virgil (1:35 am): Or worse, Roman_

_Virgil (1:42 am): Pat I’m worried please just tell me why you’re not home yet_

_Virgil (2:00 am): Are you ignoring me_

_Virgil (2:13 am): Patton this isn’t funny anymore please answer_

_Virgil (2:23 am): Okay look I know we really haven’t been close the past few months but that doesn’t mean I don’t care if you’re okay or not please just let me know you’re okay_

_Virgil (3:06 am): I called Roman and he said he hadn’t seen Logan either but he said Logan would be late coming home what’s going on_

_Virgil (4:32 am): I’m gonna use up all my minutes trying to call you and getting the answering machine please just pick up_

_Virgil (4:30 am): Fien whatever don’t answer me it’s not like I care anyway_

_Virgil (4:32 am): Pat when you wake up please call me I just want to know you’re okay_

_Virgil (7:02 am): I’m going to call the police soon if you don’t answer me_

Patton studied the time. He swallowed the dryness in his throat. Had Virgil really been up all night worrying about him?

“I- Logan I have to go talk to him, face to face. I don’t feel right talking about this over the phone,” Patton said.

“Of course. Go do what you need to. I can handle the library for the time being,” Logan replied.

“Thank you.” Patton hugged Logan and raced away.

Logan sighed. He opened his phone back up and stared at the message from Deceit. He failed to see if they sent a message to Patton as well, but he figured it was his trust they needed to win over and not Patton’s. Patton would do anything to keep the city safe. Logan erred on the side of caution.

Deceit’s deal appeared pretty straight forward. Patton and Logan would be rewarded monetarily for their actions. Considering the two of them didn’t make much to begin with, having an extra income would be a nice failsafe should something happen. After all, medical bills could be expensive. And perhaps this person actually did intend to do good and Logan was misinterpreting this whole thing to begin with. They were just being cautious.

However, in the back of his mind, Logan couldn’t help but wonder if there was more to this deal than Deceit let on.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The dispute between Virgil and Patton comes to a head, and it results in something no one ever would've predicted, not even them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Warnings: mugging, lying, passive aggressiveness, arguing, broken friendships, being kicked out, blacking out from exhaustion, crying, self depreciation, mentions of dying  
Word Count: 5259

Patton changed into his Palpitation costume so no one would accidentally see his identity and sped down the sidewalk. Really, his house was only a fifteen-minute walk away from the library, but he wanted to get to Virgil as fast as he could. It’d been months since Virgil showed much interest in him, and he wasn’t about to miss the opportunity.

As he turned the corner, he ran smack into another person running down the street in the other direction. Patton knocked them both to the ground, and they summer salted over each other in a mess of limbs.

“Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry,” Patton, now Palpitation, spoke, “I wasn’t watching where I was go-”

Patton watched the person with spiky, bright red hair scramble for their white backpack with purple hearts on it, which had been knocked off of their shoulder, and scramble to their feet. Their eyes were wide and followed Patton’s every move, and Patton saw enough fake smiles to know something was off about it.

“Uh, yeah, no, it’s fine,” they rushed to say.

Patton stood and put his hands on his hips. 

“Now, I’m pretty sure you won’t _back_ me up on this, but I don’t think that’s your pack.”

The person scowled and clutched the bag close to their chest. “Hey, mind your own business!”

Someone raced down the street behind them, their blonde ponytail bouncing up and down. They held out their hand and yelled, “Hey! Stop! That’s my bag!”

The robber cringed. Patton tsked his tongue, and he shook his head.

“You know, that’s not how you steal someone’s heart, kiddo.”

The person hesitated before they took off across the street. 

Patton sighed. Why did they always try to run?

Patton raced after them. Of course, with his super speed, it was more like the robber stood still while he marched over to them like an upset mother, but there was an attempt to get away, and Patton wouldn’t fail to recognize it. He grabbed the robber by the backpack. The robber jolted from the sudden stop and lost their balance. If it wasn’t for Patton holding the backpack, they would’ve fallen and hit their head.

“Nice try, but you don’t got this heist in the bag.”

The robber shrugged off the backpack and scurried away.

“Forget it! Five hundred bucks ain’t worth putting up with you,” they scoffed.

Before Patton could stop them, the girl who lost her bag hurried across the street and met up with Patton.

“Oh my gosh, thank you!” the girl spoke through her panting. She put her hands on her knees and struggled to catch her breath. “You’re a lifesaver.”

“It’s no problem at all,” Patton replied. He handed the bag over to her. “I think this belongs to you.”

The girl unzipped her backpack and dug around. She pulled out her wallet, ignored the money, and ran her fingers over a picture. With a sigh of relief, she looked up at Patton with teary eyes.

“I can’t thank you enough. This is the only wallet with a picture of my brother in it.”

“Oh,” Patton’s heart pinched, “well I’m glad it’s safe now.”

The girl stared at the picture, a sad smile gracing her face. She put the wallet back in her bag and swallowed thickly.

“I guess he was looking out for me, because what are the odds you’d be here at the same time I needed you?” She laughed. “He always was looking out for me.”

Patton switched from one foot to the other. “I would love to hear about it, but I’m kinda in a hurry to help someone else.”

“Oh!” Her eyes widened. “And here you are stopping to save me when someone else- you really are a good person.”

Patton forced a smile. “It’s my job, you know, to help people.”

“Yeah. Now get going. That person shouldn’t be left-” The girl gasped as Patton ran past her, the breeze ruffling her hair- “…waiting.”

–

Patton shrugged out of his hero costume behind his apartment building and put it in his backpack. He hurried up the stairs at a painfully slow pace- well painfully slow to him- and stuffed his key into the apartment door. He swung the door open.

Virgil froze as he stared at Patton with wide eyes. He snapped his jaw shut with an audible click and swallowed hard.

“Nevermind, he just came home,” he said before he dropped the phone from his ear, keeping eye contact with Patton the whole time.

Patton pretended to pant with exhaustion. He put a smile on his face and closed the door behind him.

“Hey there kiddo-”

“Where were you?” Virgil’s eyes narrowed, and his shoulders stiffened. He hadn’t worn any makeup yet, but judging by the red puffy eyes, that either wasn’t a priority or he already wiped them away.

Patton swallowed. He took a few steps toward Virgil, but after Virgil took a step back, he stopped in his tracks.

“Oh, you know, I was out with Logan. Gosh, I was gonna text you. I guess I forgot.”

“You forgot?” Virgil faked a laugh. “Pat, you’ve texted me when you went down to get the mail. You’ve texted me just to say something nice. You’ve texted me to let me know you were only going to the store for five minutes because you forgot eggs. How the f- the heck did you forget to text me that you’d be out all night with Logan?”

Patton stared down at his feet and put his hands into his pockets.

“I should’ve texted you. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you worry.”

“Yeah, well, you did.”

Patton’s gut burned. He clenched his hands in his pockets as his chest tightened.

“I didn’t think you’d care.” The words escaped before Patton could stop them. He snapped his head up and met Virgil’s eyes. Virgil flinched like Patton’s words slapped him.

“Didn’t think I’d care- Patton, what- when did I ever stop caring?”

Patton shrugged and glanced at his feet.

“Okay,” Virgil continued as he pinched the bridge of his nose. “I’m obviously missing something or you’re not telling me what’s going on.”

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that.”

“You wouldn’t have said it if you didn’t mean it.”

“It’s not that I don’t mean it. I mean I just- I guess I- I’m tired, and I wasn’t thinking.”

“That’s bull and you know it. Tell me what’s wrong with you.”

“You want to know what’s wrong with me? What about what’s wrong with you!” Patton’s voice rose with each sentence. “You’ve completely shut me out. We haven’t spent actual time together in months. Months, Virgil! You let me stay in this apartment and then hardly hung out with me again! What was the point of inviting me in if you were just going to shut me out?”

Patton’s tears started, but his words never stopped. He couldn’t stop. All the pent up rage, all the pent up hurt, all the pent up emotions came tumbling out like a roaring river, and Patton couldn’t bring himself to care if he stopped or not. He squeezed his eyes shut.

“I don’t know what I ever did to hurt you, Virgil, but I’m sorry! I thought we were friends. Friends don’t just disappear from someone’s life. Friends don’t ignore your texts or pretend you don’t exist for 4 years and then show up after college to invite you to live with them then pretend they don’t exist again! I mean, I know you’re not a touchy-feely person, but- but- darn it Virgil we used to tell each other everything, and now you don’t tell me anything! What did I do wrong?!”

Patton panted for real now. His eyes burned with tears, and he tried hard not to become a sobbing mess. He opened his eyes.

Virgil’s own eyes were wide. His lips hung open in a silent gasp, and he didn’t appear to breathe. 

Patton’s heart pinched. He didn’t mean to yell, but he was so angry and- and- that didn’t make it right.

“You,” Virgil’s eyebrows squeezed down on his narrowed eyes, “you want to know what you did wrong?”

Patton opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out. Instead, Virgil continued in a much calmer, colder voice than Patton.

“Okay, let’s talk about how you come home with bruises the size of a baseball. Let’s talk about the black eye and the broken arm and the way you smelled like smoke the other night. Let’s talk about how you give me such lame excuses when you have to suddenly leave. You had to get eggs for your cookies? Then why did you come home with a bruise on your cheek? “Oh, I tripped into the shelf.” Give me a break! How stupid do you think I am, Patton? What’s going on that _you_ can’t trust _me _with your private life?”

Patton couldn’t look up at Virgil any longer. He shuffled his feet and hiccuped like a scolded child.

Virgil shot Patton’s own words back at him. “We used to tell each other everything, but now you don’t tell me anything. I thought we were friends.”

Patton’s voice wobbled as he whispered, “That’s because I can’t.”

“You can’t? Patton, if there’s someone hurting you, I want to know. Is it Charlie again? I swear if that asshole is after you-”

“It’s not.”

“Then what’s going on? I don’t get it. What could be so horrible that you won’t tell me?”

“I can’t-”

“No, you don’t get to back out of this one, Pat. I can’t keep living with someone who’s hiding secrets that get him hurt. I can’t keep worrying about you. Do you know what I went through last night? Do you know how scared- how- how helpless I felt?”

“I’m sorry.”

“I already have enough problems. I don’t need to worry about you too.”

“I never said you had to worry about me.”

“That’s what friends do!” Virgil threw his hands up in the air. He growled and tugged at the roots of his hair. “God, I care about you, Patton. I care about you so much, but you’re like poison right now. That’s why I’m distant. I can’t keep worrying about you like this or I’m going to worry myself to death.”

“Then maybe we shouldn’t be friends!”

Patton gasped and slapped his hands over his mouth. He didn’t mean it! He didn’t mean it. He didn’t.

“Virgil, I’m sorry.”

“No, maybe you’re right. Maybe we shouldn’t be friends. Maybe it’s time to cut you out of my life before I die.”

Patton couldn’t breathe. He wasn’t even sure if his heart was beating. Maybe he died right here in the kitchen. Maybe this was all a horrible nightmare and he’d wake up on the library floor and none of this ever happened.

Virgil leaned on the counter and stared down at his palms. His eyes stung, and he swallowed whatever mucus and tears slithered down his throat.

“Get out,” he whispered. “Just get out, Patton, and leave me alone.”

Patton finally breathed through his clenched teeth. He tried to hold it in, but his exhale came out in a choked mess.

“Alright,” he whispered. He hurried into his bedroom before he broke down more than he already did.

Patton grabbed his cat covered suitcase and started shoving as many clothes in it as possible. He left the picture of him and Virgil holding their high school diplomas. He left the picture of them eating ice cream together, Virgil’s face covered in chocolate and Patton’s own covered in vanilla. He left the picture of them at the beach, of them at Virgil’s fifth birthday, and the picture of them in preschool together. He left the scrapbook they made together, the one with the noodle art that read “Best Friends Forever” on the cover.

He closed his suitcase and his old life off with a single click.

Patton grabbed his suitcase by the handle. He turned the lights off for the final time and closed the door. 

Virgil still stood in the kitchen, but he wouldn’t spare a glance at Patton. His face was buried in his hands.

Patton wanted to say he was sorry, that he was a superhero and that was what all this was about, that he did trust Virgil, but he didn’t trust the people around him to know that he was living with a superhero. He didn’t want Virgil hurt because of him.

How ironic.

“Goodbye, Virgil,” Patton said for the last time. He waited for a moment to give Virgil a chance to reply, but Virgil stayed still. Patton sighed.

It’s what he deserved. You didn’t get to lie to your best friend for months then expect them to stay.

Patton left his key to the apartment on the counter. He hesitated. After one glance over his shoulder, Patton closed the door and shut Virgil out of his life for the last time.

–

Logan yawned for the fifth time this hour and tried to read his book. His eyes kept glazing over, and he rubbed them. After the sixth yawn, he took his glasses off entirely and pressed his palms into his eyes.

“Logan?”

His head snapped up. He hastened to put his glasses back on.

“Dr. Picani. I’m sorry, I-”

“You look exhausted. Is everything okay?”

Logan sighed. “Yes, but I had a rough time sleeping last night. I have a lot on my mind.”

“I’m guessing it has to do with the family emergency since I haven’t seen Patton all morning.” Dr. Picani offered a comforting smile. “Why don’t you take the day off too to get yourself sorted. I can handle the library by myself today.”

“No, I couldn’t. I-”

“Logan, it’s okay. You rarely take any days off to yourself. Go live a little while you’re young.” Dr. Picani winked, and Logan felt his cheeks heat up.

“I… alright, I do suppose I need a bit of a break.”

Logan closed the book he was reading. He stepped away from the counter and allowed Dr. Picani to stand behind the checkout desk. Logan didn’t know if it was relief or exhaustion, but he felt a bit lighter knowing that he was able to go home.

“I’ll see you tomorrow,” Dr. Picani said as he began stamping the back of checked in books. Logan nodded, grabbed his bag, and started to walk back to his apartment.

The next thing Logan knew, he was waking up on his couch. How did he get here? What time was it? Did he fall asleep with his glasses on? Logan peeked at the kitchen clock, which read three in the afternoon. Logan cursed under his breath. Surely his internal time clock would be a mess now. He hadn’t taken a nap in… well, he couldn’t remember the last time he took a nap.

Logan’s back popped as he sat up, and he stretched all his muscles. He must’ve been more exhausted than he thought. A blanket pooled around his waist, and he blinked down at it. He didn’t recall having a Tinkerbell blanket.

“It’s about time you woke up.”

Oh. Right. Roman.

Logan rubbed his hands under his glasses and yawned again.

“When did I get home?”

“Around eleven in the morning. You looked worse than a zombie,” Roman said and leaned against the kitchen doorway. “So, where were you last night, party animal? Did you finally get lai-”

“I was out with Patton last night. Nothing more,” Logan interrupted.

Roman hummed as a smirk lit his face. “Sure. I’ll believe that for now, Logan, but don’t forget I know what you’re really like.”

Logan quirked a brow. “You know what I _used_ to be like. I can assure you that part of me left long ago.”

“Deny it all you want, but once a bad boy, always a bad boy.”

Logan growled in his throat and flopped back against the couch. He looked over to the window, noting how the rain pounded against the glass in sheets and sighed through his nose.

“Roman,” he started, but he couldn’t find the energy to continue. He allowed his eyes to slip closed.

Roman, however, was perfectly content sitting on the rocking chair across from him. In fact, he scooted it a little closer. He used one foot to gently rock himself back and forth.

“Yes?” he practically sang.

“Nevermind. I’m no longer in the mood to banter.”

Roman’s smile dropped. “But we haven’t had casual banter since yesterday. It’s kind of what our relationship depends on.”

“Well, then, maybe I simply don’t have the energy to at the moment.”

“Are you feeling alright? Should I be concerned? I mean, you did call off on a work day and took a nap in the middle of our living room.” Roman reached over and touched Logan’s forehead with his hand.

Logan’s eyes snapped open.

_”Congratulations, Roman Caballero, you made the team.”_

_“Oh, thank you! I swear I won’t let you down, Mr. Banks. I’m going to be the best journalist you’ve ever seen!”_

_“Easy now, it’s just an internship, but we’ll see what you can do.”_

_“You really have no idea what this means to me. I… well I haven’t written for a newspaper since my high school days, but I swear that doesn’t mean I’m any less talented.”_

_“Well, Roman, I expect to see big headlines from you soon.”_

Roman retracted his hands like he was burned, and he fiddled with his sleeves. Logan’s eyes returned to the present, and he rubbed his hands over his face.

“Sorry, I forgot about the touch thing.”

“It’s alright, Roman. I didn’t see anything damaging this time.”

Roman cringed, and he sighed through his nose. Lightning lit the room as thunder filled in the silence. He whistled.

“It’s really raining cats and dogs out there, isn’t it?” he asked.

“I don’t see any pets falling from the-”

“It’s an expression.”

Logan stayed quiet at that. He stared up at the ceiling and sighed through his nose. The silence, this time, filled with the pitter-patter of pounding rain.

At least, until someone knocked at the door.

Logan sat up on his elbows, and Roman stood up from his chair.

“Don’t worry, Sleeping Nerdy, I’ll get the door.”

Roman crossed the room and opened the door. His cheerful greeting died off as he took in the sight before him, and Logan heard Roman suck in a breath through his teeth. 

“My word, Patton, you’re soaking wet.”

Logan stood up at the mention of Patton’s name. He arrived at Roman’s side and took in the sight as well.

Patton shivered as he stood in the doorway, his body soaked from head to toe. The water trails down his cheeks were either rain dripping off of his hair or tears, though judging by the irritated eyes it was more likely the latter. He held his suitcase in front of his legs with both hands. Teeth chewed at his bottom lip as he refused to look away from the floor.

“I-” he started, his voice raspy.

Roman ran for a blanket, and Logan stood in the doorway, too frozen in shock to move.

“Patton, what happened?” he asked.

Patton sniffled, and he shrunk in on himself.

Roman arrived and wrapped Patton up in a blanket like sushi. He asked if he could pick Patton up, and Patton slowly nodded his head. Roman scooped Patton into his arms, and Patton’s head flopped against his shoulder like a tired child being carried to bed. Roman placed Patton down on the couch.

Logan sat down at Patton’s feet and put a gentle hand on Patton’s leg. Patton still refused to look at him, instead losing focus on the ceiling.

“I’ll get you some hot chocolate,” Roman said as he hastened out of the room.

Logan watched Roman leave, and he contemplated how he wanted to approach the subject.

Patton interrupted his thoughts and whispered, “I messed up.”

Logan turned his full attention to Patton, and he took in a deep breath. He let Patton continue without a comment.

“Virgil and I got into a fight, and I told him I don’t want to be friends anymore.” Patton hiccuped. “How could I do that?”

The dam in Patton’s eyes broke, and he began to cry. Logan furrowed his brow, his heart pinching a bit. He patted Patton’s leg and looked down at the floor. 

“I’m sure once things cool down Virgil will accept an apology.”

“But Logan, you don’t understand. It’s not just a fight. He wanted to know what’s been going on. I can’t tell him I have powers. I’ve been lying to him this whole time. I don’t deserve to be friends with him.”

One of Logan’s eyebrows popped up. “You mean to tell me that as long as you and Virgil have been friends he’s never known about your abilities?”

“No-” Patton coughed- “I kept them hidden. I can’t tell anyone. I don’t want to lose anyone because of what I am.”

“Okay,” Logan said with a sigh, “you’re letting her control your thoughts again. You do know that I informed Roman of my ability long ago, and he has accepted me for who I am, right? You do know that he even went as far to date me for 2 years. If Virgil was worth keeping around, he’d accept you for who you are as well.”

Patton curled in on himself tighter.

“It’s not just that. He started to ask why I was getting hurt all the time, and I- I don’t…”

“You don’t what?”

“I can’t tell him I’m Palpitation. What if he gets hurt? What if someone comes looking for him because of me?” What if he rejects me and thinks I’m just like all the others?

“Patton, whether he knows or not, if someone finds out that Virgil is associated with you, they will come for him. His ignorance on the situation could possibly put him in more danger, because he does not realize he’s in any potential danger to begin with.”

Patton’s eyes widened. He sat up, the blanket still curled around his shoulders, and sniffled.

“I… didn’t think of that. I just didn’t want him to be worried all the time.”

Logan sighed through his nose and shook his head. He adjusted his glasses and was about to speak, but Roman returned with a mug of hot chocolate.

Patton shrugged out of the blanket, mumbled a “thank you,” and blew on the drink before taking a sip.

Roman returned to his seat on the rocking chair and folded his fingers together.

“Is everything okay?” he asked.

Patton stared down into his hot chocolate, and Logan watched the way he tensed up again.

“Patton has gotten into a fight with his roommate.”

“You mean My Chemical Bromance?”

“That’s the one.”

“Strange, I never pictured the two of you getting into a fight. It must’ve been rather serious.” Roman’s eyes widened. “Is it about last night? He was awfully worried about you.”

Patton broke down into tears again, and Roman stiffened. Logan stroked Patton’s leg in an effort to calm him down, but of course, it didn’t work. Comforting someone was always one of Logan’s weak points.

Roman eyed the suitcase left abandoned in the room, and he slowly started to piece together what must’ve happened.

“Patton, did he kick you out of the apartment?”

Patton shook his head no. He stopped, hesitated, then slowly nodded it. Suddenly sick, he put his hot chocolate on the counter beside him. 

Roman clenched his hands into fists. Logan sent him a glare, and whatever insult Roman was going to shoot off died on his lips. Roman instead leaned back on his rocking chair and waited for Patton to stop crying. 

“What on earth could you have done that deserved that unfair punishment?” Roman said instead.

Logan sighed through his nose as Patton tucked his head away inside the blanket.

“I’m a bad person,” came his mumbled breath.

“Oh, nonsense. You’re one of the most wholesomely pure people I know. Surely you’re over exaggerating.”

“I’ve been lying to him for years.”

“About what? Wait, do you-” Patton cringed- “do you have a crush on him?”

“No,” Patton replied with a light laugh.

Roman hummed. “Then, he had a crush on you and you told him you had feelings for-”

“No. It doesn’t have to do with anything like that.”

“Well, then there’s only one explanation.” Roman paused for dramatic effect. “You are the leader of an underground crime ring that liberates animals from their homes when their owners aren’t looking, only to selfishly keep them to yourself, and Virgil is upset because you didn’t share any of them with him.”

Patton’s tearful laughter followed after, and Roman couldn’t help the smile that came to his lips. Even Logan’s lips perked for a moment.

“No, no, it’s nothing like that,” Patton replied.

“Well, whatever the reason, I’m sure it’s nothing that can’t be worked out. I have faith in you,” Roman answered. 

Patton poked his head out all the way from under the blanket, and he watched Roman walk into the kitchen.

“You like vanilla ice cream? This feels like a vanilla ice cream right from the carton kind of moment.”

“But my hot chocolate-”

“Please, what goes better with hot chocolate than vanilla ice cream?” Roman’s voice faded out as he disappeared for the second time.

The living room stilled into silence once again, and Patton couldn’t wipe the smile from his lips, no matter how hard he tried.

“You really do know how to pick them, Logan,” Patton whispered.

Logan bristled. “I told you, Patton, I’m not back together with Roman.”

“I mean your friends. Roman is a good person.”

“Oh, yes, well, I suppose so.”

Patton chewed at his lip. “How long did you know him before… you know… you told him about your powers?”

“I believe it was in our fifth or sixth month of dating. He kissed me, suddenly without permission, all the excitement of winning the trivia night I guess, and I… I saw his father slap him through Roman’s eyes.”

Patton cringed like he was the one slapped.

Logan’s hands and teeth clenched. “I swore I’d never let that man lay a finger on Roman again, and he never did.”

“Gosh, you didn’t hurt him, did you, Lo?”

“No. Roman stopped me.”

“Logan!”

“I do not tolerate such violence against another person. You know this.”

Patton pursed his lips. He didn’t know what Roman went through, but he could only imagine from what Virgil told him.

Logan looked away, and his shoulders relaxed. He cleared his throat and continued.

“But what’s done is done. Roman’s father leaves him alone, and Roman no longer has to deal with his mistreatment.”

“And you say you’re not a hero.”

“With all the things I’ve done in my past, Patton, you know I don’t deserve the title.”

“I know you had a thing for sticking up for people who need it. As far as I know, you still do.”

Logan sighed through his nose. His eyes met Patton’s, so full of hope and childish innocence that Logan couldn’t help but fold to Patton’s argument.

Roman returned to the room holding two cartons of ice cream and one of orange flavored sorbet.

“Please tell me you’re eating the sorbet,” Logan mumbled.

“Of course not!” he said and handed it to Logan.

“You may enjoy strawberry ice cream, but I’m the one who has to suffer later on.”

“You’ll be fine.” Roman rolled his eyes and handed the vanilla ice cream carton to Patton. 

Patton said a word of thanks before taking a spoon and cracking open the lid. He took two spoonfuls of the creamy treat and sighed. Doubt and fear froze in his mind. It was now or never.

“Roman,” Patton started before his tongue numbed, “I have something I need to tell you.”

Both Roman and Logan’s heads turned to him, one with curiosity and the other with wariness.

“Well, padre, go ahead,” Roman said through his spoonful of ice cream, “just only the stuff you want to tell me though, nothing-”

“I’m a superhero.”

Roman choked on his ice cream, and Logan’s spoon fell from his fingers. Patton forced a smile onto his lips. Roman recovered, and he laughed nervously.

“I’m sure you are. Librarians are an important part of our community-”

“No, I mean, I’m Palpitation.”

Roman stayed quiet, his eyes trained on Patton. He looked for any tell that Patton was joking, but the longer he looked, the longer Roman’s frown became.

“You’re… you’re serious.”

Patton nodded his head. He folded his fingers together and placed them on his lap.

“That’s what I couldn’t tell Virgil. That’s why he’s been so upset with me, because I-”

“Wait,” Roman held his hand up and unfolded his legs from their criss-cross position underneath him, the rocking chair swinging forward to listen in, “you’re telling me that you are _the_ Palpitation.”

Patton nodded. “You want me to show you?”

Roman let out a small short laugh, and he tilted his head to the side.

“Sure, why not, go ahead and-”

Roman blinked, and Patton was in front of his face. He cried out in surprise. The rocking chair toppled over. He landed on his back with a light grunt and blinked up at the ceiling.

“Oh my gosh, Roman, are you okay? I’m so sorry!”

“You-” Roman struggled to sit up- “you really weren’t kidding, were you?”

Patton helped Roman to his feet, and Roman helped the rocking chair up as well. Patton fiddled with the sleeves of his cardigan, and he bit his lip. Roman watched Patton’s anxious actions and pieced the puzzle together out loud.

“And Virgil was starting to grow suspicious, but you didn’t want to tell him. That’s why he kicked you out?”

Patton nodded, his eyes locked onto the floor.

“Well, I say it’s his loss if he doesn’t accept you.”

Patton’s head perked up and met Roman’s eyes.

“You mean, you don’t hate me?”

“Hate you? Patton, you save people every day! Well, maybe not every day, but at least every week. How could I hate you? I love Palpitation and all he does for the city. Why would I hate you?”

Patton let his breath go. Coincidentally, all the tension, all the pent up stress of holding in the secret for so long, and all the moral impurities of lying exhaled with it. He felt ten times lighter. Patton shrugged his shoulders, and Roman narrowed his brow.

“Wait, Palpitation has a sidekick-”

“I am not.”

Roman’s head snapped over to Logan, and Logan adjusted his glasses.

“Patton and I are equals. Neither of us are each other’s sidekick.”

Roman hesitated before questioning, “You’re Intuition?”

“I’m surprised you hadn’t figured it out sooner.”

Roman allowed their words to sink in. He let out a hysterical short laugh and wondered if his intolerance to lactose finally killed him like his mother told him it would and he was dreaming this all up before his spirit left his body.

Patton quirked his lips into a smile before he mumbled, “Surprise.”

Roman sat down in his rocking chair and spied the ice cream that fell out of his lap, barely eaten and melting all over the floor.

“Roman, are you alright?”

“I think I’m going to need another carton of ice cream.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a mandatory rest stop if you're reading the whole way through! Grab a glass of water, stretch, or simply rest your eyes for a minute. You've earned it!


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What started out as a wonderful night ends in a nightmare. Patton is visited by an unwanted house guest, and Logan is visited by a guest who feels unwanted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Warnings: food mentions, tickle mentions, nightmares, zalgo text, body horror, falling, breaking and entering   
Word Count: 5666

“And then-” Roman said through his laughter- “and then when Mr. Vornholt came out, you should’ve seen his face! I swear he never ate chocolate pudding again!”

Patton laughed, his lungs aching for the best reason. His voice bounced around the whole room, spreading joy in the otherwise stuffy air.

Logan cleared his throat and tried to hide his amused smile, but he did a horrible job at it. He adjusted his glasses and took a deep breath.

“If I recall, you got two detentions for that,” Logan said.

“Yeah, but it was _so_ worth it,” Roman answered and wiped a tear from his eye. “He failed me anyway, so-”

“He didn’t fail you at all. You simply stink at biology. Remember the fish dissection?”

“Hey!” Roman barked and jabbed his spoon in Logan’s general direction, “I don’t remember you liking The Troll King either. You know he failed us both on purpose.”

Patton’s eyebrows rose as he turned to Logan. “You failed a class?”

Logan’s own brows scowled, and he sighed through his nose. “A minor setback. It wasn’t my fault that he knew nothing-”

“-about the differences between a male and female heart attack,” Roman and Logan said at the same time. The two of them shared a look. Roman bit his lip to stifle his laugh, and it came out in a snort.

“There’s a difference?” Patton asked.

“Indeed,” Logan answered. He opened his mouth to go off on a rant, but Roman interrupted.

“You can’t tell me he didn’t deserve it. Even Mrs. Winscott high fived me, and she hated me too.”

“Most of our teachers hated you, Roman.”

“They just couldn’t appreciate my talents.”

“You mean your talent to annoy people simply by being in their presence?”

Roman put a hand to his chest and produced a shrill squeal. He kneed Logan’s thigh. In retaliation, Logan hurtled a spoonful of sorbet at Roman’s face. Roman held up an arm to block it and tried to hurl his own spoonful, but the strawberry ice cream froze to the spoon. He instead leaned over and tried to smear it on Logan’s face. Logan held a hand out and stopped Roman, who persisted, telling Logan that he would be a strawberry snowman by the end of this.

Patton watched the scene unfold. He couldn’t get over how Logan completely relaxed around Roman. He hadn’t seen Logan’s mischievous side in so long, and it felt nice to watch the childish cousin he grew up with return for a moment.

A drop of ice cream landed on Logan’s tie, and both he and Roman froze. Roman retreated and waved his spoon like a white flag. Logan’s eyebrows raised as he stared down at the drop.

“You got ice cream on my favorite tie.”

“I surrender.”

“You know what’s going to have to happen now, Roman.”

“I said I surrender!”

For a moment, Logan and Roman stared at each other like prey and predator. Logan rushed in. Roman squealed and stumbled to his feet, Logan right on his tail. Roman’s “no” came out through giggles, and he hurried to the safety of his room. He slammed the door in Logan’s face and locked it.

Logan jiggled the handle and called through, “You’re going to have to come out eventually.”

“I have a fire escape. I’m not some prince locked in a tower.”

“And if I accidentally unscrew all the screws?”

“You wouldn’t dare.”

Logan paused. “You’re right, but I will find a way in there, even if I have to crawl through the vents.”

“Begone, foul beast! I’ve won. Admit defeat and go back to your cave.”

Logan huffed and put his hands on his hips. He examined his tie and hastened into the kitchen to clean the stain off.

Patton waited in the living room. His ice cream puddled inside the container. He slurped up what the melted treat left behind and stood to throw away the container.

Inside the kitchen, Logan dried his tie with a dishtowel. He grumbled to himself and straightened out his shirt.

“What a child,” he mumbled.

Patton laughed through his nose and put the container in the garbage. He asked, “Were you really going to hurt him, Logan?”

“Of course not,” Logan replied. “Roman knew I never intended to from the beginning. He just didn’t want to be tickled.”

“Tickled?” Patton pressed a hand over his lips. “You were going to tickle him?”

“Yes. He won’t admit to it, but he is rather ticklish on the back of his neck.” A genuine smile appeared again on Logan’s lips, and Patton leaned against the counter.

“You sure have a history with him, don’t you?”

“He _was_ the reason I didn’t drop out of high school.”

“You were going to drop out?”

“This shouldn’t surprise you, Patton. You know how much I detested the public school system.”

“Well, yeah, but I remember you wanting to be a teacher when we were growing up.”

“A child’s wish, nothing more. I simply did not understand what being a teacher entailed.”

“Like?”

“Having the patience to put up with complete and utter mouth breathers.”

Logan walked past Patton into the living room, and Patton followed. They both sat on the couch, rather close to each other, and enjoyed the pitter patter of the ending storm’s raindrops. 

Patton’s tears had long ago been replaced with genuine smiles and aching sides. Roman and Logan made sure he couldn’t breathe through his laughter. The two of them shared story after story from their childhood, some that Patton knew, like the time Logan and Roman set a wild turkey loose in the school for senior prank day, to the ones he was surprised to learn, like how Logan nearly set the chemistry lab on fire to prove that they did need safety goggles while handling rocks.

Logan stayed quiet beside him, lost in the memories. His own laughter had gone to sleep in his chest, and he sighed slowly through his nose.

“What happened between you two?” Patton asked. “You told me the other day in the library you “barely tolerate his presence” but that was not tolerating. You two were having fun together.”

Logan stiffened. “Nothing happened, Patton. We are simply incompatible.”

Patton pouted, and he sighed through his nose.

Logan continued, “Besides, Roman and I agreed we both had different interests when it came to sexual desires, and it wouldn’t have worked out in the end regardless.”

“Like what?”

Logan hesitated. He cleared his throat and mind.

“I believe both of us are exhausted from our adventures in the past 24 hours. We should probably get some rest and retire for the night. You can sleep in my bed. I’ll take the couch.”

“So you can tickle Roman if he comes out of his room?”

“Absolutely not.”

Patton bounced his eyebrows up and down, and Logan stood up from the couch. He picked up Patton’s abandoned suitcase and carried it to his bedroom. Logan flipped the switch with his shoulder and set the suitcase on his bedspread. 

Patton followed him and studied the gray-walled room. A few pictures of Logan’s family lined a shelf. The bed sat in the middle, it’s black blanket littered with stars. Patton looked up and noticed Logan still had the glow in the dark stars Patton bought for Logan’s 15th birthday.

“If you need anything, you know where to find me,” Logan said. 

“Kay,” Patton answered. He moved to the side of the bed, pulled back the blanket, and snuggled into Logan’s comforter, realizing just how exhausted he was. “Night Lo. Sleep tight.”

“You’re not going to change into pajamas?”

“Mmm, maybe later. Too tired now. Comfy.” Patton pretended to snore.

Logan laughed under his breath. He exited, closed, and paused outside of the door. 

Logan’s stomach hurt from either eating all that sorbet or laughing too hard. It wasn’t butterflies. It wasn’t the pain of remembering the past. It wasn’t genuinely enjoying Roman’s presence like he was reliving his teen years once again.

Logan puffed up the pillow he crashed on hours earlier, and he spied Roman’s blanket on the back of the couch. It cooled long ago, but its cotton grip around Logan’s shoulders warmed his heart. He leaned back on the couch and stared up at the ceiling.

His feelings for Roman were strictly platonic. He couldn’t afford for them to be anything else, especially now that he was a superhero. Someone would exploit that faster than Logan could think, and in the end, nothing good ever came from loved ones being used as bargaining chips. 

Perhaps Patton had the right idea leaving Virgil behind.

Logan shook his head. Even if Roman’s feelings for him were something along the lines of romantic, Logan couldn’t go back to him. He swore. He swore he would never let Roman break his heart again, even if he was ten years older now and grew from that moment.

A distant part of Logan’s heart may have forgiven Roman, but the intellectual side certainly didn’t and wouldn’t let Logan be treated like that again.

Logan leaned over the couch arm and turned off the lamp, coating the room and the subject plaguing his mind in darkness.

–

Patton walked through the city. Only a few street lights lit the way, and the ones that were lit flickered like candles. He looked at an unnaturally dark sky; it looked like it would suck up anyone who jumped high enough into a black hole. No noise, not even the sound of cars driving along the highway, echoed through the darkness. 

Patton shivered. What was going on?

A shadow stood at the end of the street. Patton paused. It called to him.

Patton.

The name bounced around on gelatin bricks.

Patton.

He took a cautious step forward. The shadow shifted into something human-ish. Patton started to walk faster. That walk turned into a run. That run turned into him using all his strength to reach top sonic speeds.

No matter how fast he ran, he couldn’t seem to catch the shadow. It always stayed a block away.

That… was impossible. Nothing was faster than-

Pa҉t̀ton!

The voice exploded in his ear, Patton’s sneakers screeched to a halt. He turned his head and spun in a circle.

P̴̸̵̢̨à̡̛͟t̷̷̕̕͞t͟o͟͞͠ņ́͠!

He covered his ears and crouched. What was going on? He squeezed his eyes shut, and he chewed on his lip. Maybe if he ignored this thing, it’d go away.

A hand squeezed his shoulder, and Patton jumped. He sprung to his feet and turned around.

Blank brown eyes stared at him. Patton took several steps back, his mouth frozen open.

“V-Virgil?”

No, that couldn’t be Virgil. His eyes were too dead. His body was too stiff. His chest didn’t move.

“Patton?” Virgil asked, his lips barely moving like he spoke inside Patton’s head. “You’re one of t҉h́em”

Patton took a step back and forced a smile on his lips. “I don’t know what you mean, kiddo.”

“You’re a de̸v͞ia̷n͝t͝.”

Patton flinched. Hearing Virgil say that word hurt everywhere.

Static sparked beside him. Patton watched a television roar to life, Thomas Sanders’s voice echoing down the street.

“The epidemic of genetic mutations has seen to have taken a toll on the city. No one knows who started the virus, but those in̵f͠e̸cte͟d͟ have started to die due to lack of an anecdote. One could only hope this had nothing to do with the rise of Palpitation, the first super-f̢r̴͝e͜a̡̛k̛ the city has ever seen-”

Patton backed up. This was a dream. It had to be a dream. He just had to wake up.

Patton backed into someone, and he bounced forward. His eyes lit up with the familiar sight, but his heart dropped when he took in how _wrong_ they looked.

“Roman?” He asked. He reached his hands up to touch Roman’s face. “What happened?”

Roman smacked Patton’s hands away from his pale, sunken in cheeks.

“Don’t touch me, foul beast,” his raspy voice hissed. “Look what you did to my beautiful face! Look what you did to me!”

Roman’s once beautiful green eyes were dulled to a light gray. His cheeks were hallowed in, and his ginger hair was silver and pulled into a knotted ponytail.

Roman pointed a bony finger and jammed it into Patton’s chest, each jab accenting a different word, “It’s a͏ll ỳou͢r f̶a͠u͝lt̸!”

“What did I do?” Patton asked. “Roman, what happened to you?”

“You told him.”

Patton’s eyes twisted to their corners. Logan emerged from the shadows of the building, his eyes completely black. He stopped in the middle of the street, his tie loose and hands balled into fists.

“You told him about you. About us. About me. You didn’t even think to ask me first. You just told! That wasn’t your secr̡et to tell, Patton.”

“I didn’t tell him about you, Logan,” Patton cried out. “I didn’t! You told him. You-”

Logan melted and reformed in front of him. He picked Patton up by the shirt. Patton kicked his feet in the air.

“Logan, s-stop!”

"Y̸̛ou͢ hurt Virgil. Y̡̛͏oư͟ hurt Roman. Y̵͠ou̕͡ know what I do to people who hurt others, P҉a̸͟t͟t̡o͘͞n͏?”

“No!”

Logan pulled Patton forward. He thrust Patton’s body against the glass. It screamed as it shattered.

Patton fell. The darkness chilled him to the bone. It swallowed him whole. Patton fell. Shards of glass drifted around him, some coated with blood, others reflecting his terrified face. Patton fell. This is why you don’t tell. Patton fell. Telling them will only make your life a living hell.

Patton fell out of bed.

For a moment, Patton curled up on the solid floor and gasped for breath. He used the bed’s blankets to pull him up. The sweat from his hands moistened the already damp cloth, and Patton’s hair stuck to his forehead in all different directions.

No more ice cream right before bed.

Patton couldn’t swallow a thing, and his tongue cracked like the ground in a drought. He slowly navigated through the dark room and found the door. Patton peeked out. Silence greeted him. Patton tiptoed through the better lit room and out into the kitchen.

The kitchen clock ticked and hit one in the morning. Patton watched it as he traveled to the sink. He turned the cold water on. It hissed and scolded him for being awake so early. Patton splashed the cool liquid on his face then grabbed a glass from the dishwasher. He watched the water bubble as it swirled around and filled the glass.

Patton drank like a cactus in the rain.

After he downed the whole glass, Patton set it on the counter. It banged like a gunshot. He jumped. A shaky breath escaped, and he dried his face with a dishtowel.

“Bad dream?”

Patton spun around. He squinted in the dark. That voice didn’t belong to Logan or Roman but still sounded familiar.

“Relax, babe, it’s just me.”

Sunglasses reflected the island’s light. Patton could see a lollipop clenched between smirking lips.

“You’re Remy, the one who-”

“Yeah, yeah, keep your voice down,” Remy said as he leaned in on the counter. “We don’t want to wake Roman and Logan, right?”

Patton paused. “How did you get in here?”

Remy’s grin widened as he bit down on the lollipop’s stick, and lowly chuckled.

“I have my ways. Not the first time I broke into someone’s apartment.”

Goosebumps rose on Patton’s skin. He pressed his back into the sink and swallowed his drying throat.

“Anyway, I’m here to deliver a message from the head honcho themselves,” Remy continued. He held out an envelope to Patton, and Patton hesitated before he took it from Remy’s hands. “It’s just for you, I think. Logan isn’t supposed to know.”

Patton pinched his brows together and mumbled, “I don’t work without him.”

“Relax, Pattycakes. It’s not like you have to lie to Logan about your secret identity or anything.” Patton’s eyes widened, and Remy added on, “Besides, this mission is kinda dangerous from what I was told, so it’s not a good idea he goes anyway.”

Patton read the message, and his jaw dropped.

“There’s no way Logan wouldn’t want-”

“Ya know, I don’t really care what Logan wants. I just know there are people who need you, and the longer you wait, the more hurt they get.”

Patton tapped his finger against the counter. He stared down at the letter and chewed on his lip.

“When does Deceit need me to go?”

“Like, preferably right now. That’s why I’m here.”

“What? But I need to tell-”

“Just leave him a note or something!” Remy said and threw his hands up in the air. “Come on, Patton, we’re wasting time!”

Patton flinched.

“Okay, okay, fine, okay, do whatever helps you sleep at night, but don’t wake up Logan.”

The back of Patton’s mind screamed something was wrong. Something wasn’t right. Something about the way Remy stood in Logan’s apartment without Logan knowing soured his throat. Something about going on a mission without Logan knowing twisted his gut. He and Logan always worked together. Always.

He needed to talk to Deceit and let them know that.

Patton pulled out a pen and paper from the drawer behind him. He scribbled a short note down for Logan and stuck it to the tea kettle.

Remy’s smile returned, twisting around the lollipop and spreading a toothy grin.

“About time. Now, come on. We’re wasting precious moonlight.”

–

Logan’s neck cracked as he stirred in bed. He let out a long sigh and tried to sit up. A heavy weight laid on his chest. He squinted in the dark. Oh, that’s right. Patton was now staying in the apartment for an undetermined amount of time. He must’ve fallen asleep with-

Logan froze. 

Roman curled around his chest, right cheek squished into his side and breathing deeply. He groaned and scooted in closer.

Logan sighed, rubbed his head, and recalled the events leading up to this. He forgot Roman ate ice cream. He forgot Roman started groaning at midnight so loudly that Logan thought the neighbors would complain. He forgot how tactile Roman was when he was sick, how Logan allowed Roman to pull him down onto the bed, how Logan accepted his fate as long as it kept Roman quiet, how Logan fell asleep faster here than he did on his own.

Every time he swore he’d never get close to Roman, he moved closer than before.

“Roman,” Logan mumbled. “It’s six in the morning. I have to get up for work.”

Roman breathed deeply and sighed into Logan’s chest.

“You sure?”

“Positive.”

Roman hummed. “I don’t mind you being late.”

“But I do. Let me go.”

Roman’s eyes fluttered open. He turned his head up to Logan, smiled, then realized this was not a dream and he was very much awake. He flung himself backward with a gasp. Roman nearly toppled over the side of the bed, but Logan caught and steadied him at the last minute.

“Logan,” Roman said in a breathless state, “what happened? Why-”

“I told you I suffer more when you eat anything with lactose.”

Roman’s cheeks burned, and he stared down at the bed.

“I don’t recall making you stay.”

Logan sighed and shuffled off the bed. Roman’s hand traveled down Logan’s arm and snagged around Logan’s wrist. Logan paused. He rose a brow.

“I don’t recall saying I would.”

Roman’s fingers relaxed, and he released Logan’s wrist. Logan finally escaped the room and entered the kitchen. He stared up at the clock, realized he was 10 minutes late for his morning tea, and walked over to the kettle to jumpstart his day. A note taped to the kettle caught his eye. Logan picked the paper up and skimmed through it.

_Logan,_

_Remy came in the middle of the night. He said Deceit had an urgent mission for me and only me. Be home soon <3_

_Patton_

Logan read and reread the note several times. His heartbeat quickened. That was definitely Patton’s handwriting. There was nothing to be worried about. Logan rubbed his hands under his glasses and squished his eyes. 

Patton could handle himself. He proved time and time again he could be just as quick-witted as he could be agile. He could protect himself. He didn’t need Logan’s constant supervision any longer. He wasn’t a child, and it was time Logan let him make his own choices, even if he got hurt in the process.

The last thought struck a sour chord in Logan’s heart. He hated the helpless feeling of waiting. Of not knowing what was going to happen. Of being out of control.

But control wasn’t what Patton needed. He could handle himself. He _can_ handle himself.

Logan started the water for his tea. While he waited for it to heat up, he kept reading and rereading the note. Was there a secret code he was missing? Was Patton in trouble? Should there be more to this note than Logan was catching? 

The tea kettle whistled. Logan grabbed a bag of green tea and put it in his favorite mug. He poured the water, added a little honey, and returned to the island in the kitchen. Logan hesitated before taking his first sip. The warm liquid didn’t do anything for his numb body.

The shuffling of Roman’s feet on the carpet caught Logan’s attention. He didn’t face Roman, but he could tell by the shortness of the footsteps that it wasn’t who he wanted to see right now.

“So,” Roman said as he rubbed the back of his neck, “I see Patton hasn’t woke up yet. He must still be exhausted from yesterday.”

“Patton is not here.”

“What? When did he leave? Where did he go?”

“He’s already off to work.”

“Oh. I thought the library doesn’t open for-” Roman paused- “wait, does this have to do with superhero work?”

Logan’s silence answered him. Roman bounced on his toes, and he couldn’t contain the squeal that escaped his chest.

Roman continued, “Oh, I can’t wait! I can be the first one on the story when he returns. Imagine the editor in chief’s reaction when he sees me show up with a personalized interview with _the_ Palpitation! I’d get the next journalist spot for sure.”

Logan scrubbed his hands over his face.

“Of course that’s all you are concerned about.”

Roman stopped and rose a brow.

“Well, I mean, I am a bit worried for Patton, but he’s a superhero. He can handle himself.”

Logan put his tea cup down a little harder than intended, and he forced a sigh through his nose. He read and reread the note again and again as if they’d hold a secret code for Logan to decipher.

Roman walked over to his side and peeked over Logan’s shoulder. He hummed and put his hands on his hips.

“Who’s Remy? And is Deceit another superhero or something? Are they like your leaders?”

“Absolutely not,” Logan replied. He hesitated and then answered, “They are the two people who approached Patton and I the other day then stole us in the middle of the night. I don’t know what their intentions are or why they have decided to target Patton and myself, but they claim to want to help us.”

“Wait, wait, wait, back up. You told me you were staying out the other night, and now you’re saying these people “stole” you?”

“It’s a rather long and tedious story.”

“Well, I have nowhere to be anytime soon.”

“I don’t recall ever inviting you back into my private life.”

Roman flinched. “Hey, there’s no reason to be snippy with me. I’m just… concerned is all.”

Logan sighed and ran his hand over his face.

“You’re right, but I… I am… I need to figure out where Patton is and if he’s alright. Why did they come for him and only him in the middle of the night? Why wasn’t I made aware of the situation? Where did they plan on sending him alone, and for what purpose?”

“I gather you don’t trust these people?”

“No more than I trust a stranger on the street.”

“Well, you trust Patton, don’t you?”

“Of course.”

“Then trust he’ll make the right choice. Patton wouldn’t harm you without a good reason.” A thought died at the tip of his lips, and Roman buried it with a forced smile. 

Logan filled his lungs to full capacity through his nose then exhaled everything through his mouth. He swirled his tea around in his mug and forced a bitter laugh to his lips.

“You’re right.”

“Whoa, wait, let me get my camera. Did you just say I’m right?”

“Don’t get used to it.”

“Wait, hang on. I want to preserve the moment so I could rub it in your face later.”

Logan wrinkled his nose, abandoned his now empty tea cup, and left the room to start his day. 

Roman called out, “I don’t suppose I could at least get it in writing?”

Had Logan been in the room, Roman probably would’ve got a less than courteous response. However, Logan chose to ignore him, and Roman’s laughter answered the silence. Logan couldn’t help the smile that curled onto his lips.

Roman was right. Patton could choose to make his own mistakes, and he didn’t need Logan hovering over his shoulder like a parent.

Still, that didn’t stop his mind from wandering or his heart from worrying.

–

Logan opened the library to their normal patrons. The air held a quietness that could hear a pin drop, with the occasional flutter of busy books blowing in the hand swept breeze. No one thought to strike up an unwanted conversation with Logan. They left him alone at the front desk of the library, only coming to him when they needed a book checked out. 

Logan sighed as he closed the book he was reading. He scanned the practically empty library for any source of riffraff that he’d have to control. No one laughed or was obnoxiously loud. No one drug food into the library only to be scolded by Logan or Dr. Picani. 

Logan finally got to be alone like he always wanted. So why for the first time in his life, did Logan feel lonely?

Logan sighed and held his head up with his hand. He skimmed through the book on sea creatures he’d been digesting for the past two days, but for some reason, he couldn’t find the energy to continue.

He missed the way Patton would ask him what he was reading. He missed sharing his knowledge with eager ears who could only learn from communicating with another person. He missed someone taking an interest in him.

It seemed Logan needed Patton a lot more than he realized. Perhaps he needed Patton more than Patton needed him.

The library door opened, and Logan snapped his head up in hopes that Patton had returned. However, his hopes were smashed again by a teen looking for books. It wasn’t their fault Logan was disappointed 232 times this morning. Still, he had no one else to take his bitterness out on, so they would have to do.

Logan tried to bury himself back in his book. However, no matter how hard he tried, his thoughts always rose back to Patton.

He truly did hate the unknown.

“Um,” a timid voice squeaked in front of him. Logan brought his eyes up from his book, looked down, then snapped his eyes back up again.

“Virgil,” Logan said and pushed his glasses up his nose to their proper place. “Welcome to the library.”

“Thanks,” Virgil said and tapped his finger on the front desk. His hunched shoulders shrunk away from Logan. He stared at the ground as if cue cards were stuck to his shoes and he was trying to read them. “Hey, uh, this… have… is he here?”

“Dr. Picani is not working today if that’s who you’re looking for.”

“Uh, yeah, no, I have an appointment Saturday, but I mean, is Patton- you know- here?”

“I’m afraid not.”

Virgil exhaled and ran a hand through his hair. He chewed on his lip, which seemed to be split open several times judging by the caked blood, and swallowed hard.

“Okay, yeah, okay I thought so. I didn’t see him anywhere.”

Logan closed his book, folded his fingers, and rested them against the book he previously read.

“If I may ask, why are you looking for him?”

Virgil swallowed painfully hard. “It was stupid. This was really stupid. I don’t know- I don’t think sometimes and I just- I react too fast-”

“Deep breaths, Virgil. There’s no rush to explain yourself.”

Virgil closed his eyes, took a deep breath in, held it, then exhaled through his mouth.

“I said something dumb. I mean, go figure, it’s me. But I mean, I said some really shi- something really awful to Patton yesterday, and I shouldn’t have, and I kinda wanted to… I don’t know, apologies, I guess.”

“Well, as much as I’m sure Patton would appreciate an apology, he’s not here at the moment.”

“Oh,” Virgil mumbled. He shuffled his feet and turned away. “Okay, well thanks, Logan.”

“My pleasure, Virgil.”

Logan watched Virgil start to walk off, pause, then turn back around.

“Hey, have you noticed anything strange with Patton lately?”

“Strange as in he eats an entire large pizza by himself in less than fifteen minutes?”

“No. I mean like… strange as in he’s gotten hurt a lot lately.”

Logan hesitated. He tapped his fingers together then folded them back into their resting position. He did recall Patton saying Virgil noticed his injuries, and while he hated talking about Patton behind his back, maybe he could attempt to solve why Virgil and Patton had fought in the first place, at least from Virgil’s perspective.

“I do know that Patton is clumsy by nature, but I have noticed some more bruising than normal.”

“I knew it,” Virgil said and ran a hand through his hair. “So I’m not crazy.”

Logan waited for Virgil to continue.

“See, he’s been coming home at weird hours in the day. Like I mean, sometimes way late at night. And then the next day he has these weird bruises. I mean, at first, it wasn’t too bad. I could blame it on his clumsiness, like how he said he tripped and scraped his knee or bumped his arm against a table. Then he started to come home with a bloody nose and a bruised eye and smelled like smoke the other night. And he kept coming up with these really lame excuses, you know, like things kids tell their parents when they don’t want their parents to know the truth. And I just… I’m worried Patton is in trouble and he’s not telling me.”

Logan rose a brow. Virgil rested his elbows on the front desk and shoved his face into his hands.

Virgil continued, “And I know I shouldn’t hover over him like that, but I thought we could talk to each other about the heavy stuff, you know? I thought we were… I don’t know, good friends? But I guess things really do change when you go to college.”

For a moment, Logan allowed Virgil’s words to sink in. Virgil fell to either the silence of the library or his own thoughts, and he took shaky breaths through his hands. Logan cleared his throat, and Virgil’s body stiffened.

“If I may, Virgil, Patton has lamented to me that the two of you have grown very distant as of late.”

“That’s because I don’t want to feel like I’m smothering him. I mean, if he wants to tell me his problems that’s his business, but I… I don’t know… I thought he trusted me, and I’m kinda feeling a bit betrayed I guess. I already feel like he just kinda tolerates me, but now… now I’m pretty sure he’s just annoyed and sick of me. He even suggested we shouldn’t be friends. And I mean, I knew it. Deep down, I knew that we were going to fall apart. Everyone leaves me at some point, and I just… sorry, I’m dumping all these problems on you and you didn’t ask for any of it. I’ll- I’ll leave.”

“Virgil, I do believe the problem between you and Patton isn’t a lack of friendship. It’s a lack of communication.”

“I tried communicating with him! Don’t you think I tried that before I threw-” Logan cleared his throat, and Virgil lowered his voice- “before I became a complete asshole and threw him out?”

“But have you talked to him in a responsible manner without yelling?”

Virgil shuffled his feet. “Well, I mean… I guess. I don’t know.”

Logan sighed. “If you want, I could relay that you’d like to talk to Patton and settle the argument that occurred the other day. Patton is an unusually forgiving person, and I’m sure he’d give you a second chance if you wish to be heard.”

“I-” Virgil rubbed his arms. “Okay. I mean, if he wants to, I guess I’ll do it.”

Logan offered a polite smile, and Virgil sighed through his nose. A girl cleared her throat behind Virgil. She tapped the book she wanted to check out with her index finger.

Virgil hurried to say, “Let me know if he doesn’t want to talk.”

“I will. Have a good day, Virgil.”

Virgil flashed him a thumbs up before shoving his hands into his pockets and exiting the library.

Logan sighed. The girl passed him the book, and he stamped it. He figured the reason Virgil got so upset was simply a case of misplaced worry. However, Virgil and Patton always felt first then thought later, and that often caused an unintentional rift in communication between them. It simply came to a boiling point yesterday.

When Patton returned, Logan would explain what happened and attempt to help set things right.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Remy and Patton work together to free three imprisoned people. What Patton finds is worse than any nightmare he's ever had.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Warnings: Human trafficking (don't take this one lightly), cursing, kidnapping mention, talks of using acid as a weapon, torture mention, child cancer mention, mind control, non-con kissing, teen motherhood  
Word Count: 5679

Patton awoke in Deceit’s manor once again. He stretched and looked around.

A middle eastern man sat in the chair across from him, their fingers clutched to a diamond-tipped cane. Their well-tailored black suit would’ve looked professional if it wasn’t for the loose yellow tie around their neck. They smiled around a well-kept mustache and beard.

“Glad to see you’re finally awake, Palpitation,” they spoke, their voice smooth as butter.

“Who are you?” Patton asked and tilted his head to the side.

They laughed and then asked, “Don’t you recognize me? You met me the other night.”

Patton furrowed his brows. Well, he was feeling ill the first few minutes he arrived here. Perhaps they met while he wasn’t feeling well and he didn’t remember it. He didn’t want to be rude, but he didn’t want to lie either. He’d done enough of that recently anyway.

“Relax, Palpitation, I’m joking,” they said and tapped their finger on the cane. “I’m Deceit.”

“What?” Patton asked and squinted. He could’ve sworn Deceit was a black wo-

Deceit’s appearance changed into the black feminine appearance they used the other night, and Patton’s eyes widened.

“You’re one of us.”

“Rather quick on your feet, aren’t you?” Deceit asked with a smile. They changed back to the middle eastern man they were masquerading as.

Patton smiled at the pun, but it fell away soon after. “Deceit, uh, I appreciate you coming to me for help, but I don’t really like working without Logan. We’re kind of a team, and I… well I just don’t like doing things without him. I kinda feel like I’m going behind his back.”

Deceit hummed, their smile dropping but not disappearing. They spoke, “Oh I understand. I didn’t mean to offend you by taking only you, but Logan’s talents aren’t required on this mission. We wouldn’t want him getting hurt unnecessarily.”

“I guess,” Patton replied. He squeezed his hands together.

“If it makes you feel better, I’ve assigned Nightlight to go in with you. This kind of assignment is his specialty.”

“Nightlight?”

“Me, bitch,” Remy said and jumped over the couch. He plopped down beside Patton and sent a coy smile. Patton tried to send one back. He ended up sliding over a bit to give Remy some space.

“Good, you’re both here,” Deceit said. They reached over to the coffee table and opened a manilla folder. Inside the folder were three pictures.

The first picture was a child who looked barely old enough to walk. Their baby blue eyes comforted Patton’s soul, and their curly red hair stuck up in all different directions. Pinned beside it was: _Jeremiah, age: 6 months, gift: unknown_

The second picture was an older child, maybe in their preschool or kindergarten days. They had beautiful tanned skin, deep brown eyes, and wavy brown hair pulled into a ponytail. Even though they smiled, it didn’t reach their eyes, and they almost looked afraid. Another note beside this picture read _Molly, age: 6 years, gift: Healing blood_

The third was a teenager wearing a hijab. They scowled, as if the viewer was going to steal their favorite food, and shrunk away from the camera. Written beside it was: _Fajjr, age: 14, gift: super strength_

Patton wrinkled his brow and glanced up. Deceit stared down at the pictures, their mouth pulled into a tight line and their eyebrows creased. They squeezed the tip of their cane rather hard.

“Who are they?” Patton asked.

“They’re traders,” Remy informed, his nose curled and teeth clenched.

“Traders?” Patton glanced between Remy and Deceit.

Deceit nodded their head. “Traders are what we call those who the conventional use against their will.”

“Wait, conventional?”

“Normal people. Non-deviant,” Remy explained. “You know, not us.”

Patton wrinkled his nose. He didn’t like calling the other side a name any more than he liked being called a deviant.

“Traders often are abducted from their families if they show signs of abilities or are bought off of breeders. They’re forced to live in harsh conditions and are sold to “help” conventional people with whatever they need.”

“That sounds horrible,” Patton spoke.

“It is,” Remy spat.

Deceit looked up, and they pulled their lips into a tight line. “Are you sure you want to work on this, Remy. I don’t want you to-”

“Yeah, I’m golden,” Remy replied and leaned back in his chair. “Can we go? The longer we wait, the longer these kids have to suffer.”

Deceit leaned back in their chair, and they hummed. Patton watched Remy clench and unclench his hands into fists, his shoulders tense and back straight.

“We’ve located these three at an underground auction taking place a little out of Sidestone limits. The first meeting is supposed to go off in about three hours-”

“Then we’re wasting time,” Remy said and stood up.

“Remy, hold on,” Deceit warned, “You need to know what you’re up against-”

“I know damn well what I’m up against, m’kay babe.”

Deceit sighed and ran a hand over their hair. They muttered a “be careful” before Remy stormed off.

Patton glanced over at Deceit, who flashed their brown eyes over to him.

“Please watch over him,” Deceit asked.

“I’ll do my best,” Patton said and perked a smile. Deceit tried to return it, but it was as fake as their appearance. Patton started to follow Remy.

“Oh, and Patton, don’t get caught, or this will get messier than we need it to be.”

Patton nodded his head and continued following Remy. He heard Deceit whisper as he closed the door to Remy’s room.

“Good luck.”

–

Patton rode with Remy to their destination. Remy drove a black convertible Mustang. Whether the car was Remy or Deceit’s, Patton didn’t know. All he knew was that if Remy passed through one more red light, they’d probably get a fine bigger than Patton’s monthly salary.

Remy stayed eerily quiet the whole trip, his eyes focused on the road. Patton tried to strike up a conversation, but Remy wouldn’t have any of it. If Patton was lucky, Remy would grunt to show he still listened.

Patton stared out his window and watched the outskirts of the city fade into view. The homes here were expensive and well kept, something Patton could only dream of affording. Trees started to line the road as well. Patton sighed and stared out the front windshield.

Remy started to slow down. He pulled into the driveway of a rather nice house, which had a gate across the way and a guard standing at the entrance. Patton shrunk down into his seat.

“Can I help you?” the guard asked.

Remy lowered his sunglasses. His eyes glimmered like shifting sands, and he put on a coy smile.

“Hey, cutie. It’d be great if you could let us in,” Remy purred.

Patton watched as the guard relaxed, nodded, and opened the gate without another word. Remy blew a kiss as he drove through the gate and parked behind a car that looked like Iron Man should’ve owned it. Somehow, Patton doubted the superhero was here.

“How did you do that?” Patton asked.

“It’s one of my abilities,” Remy spoke, surprising Patton in more ways than one. “I can only start it if I’m looking into someone’s eyes. Then, as soon as I look away from whoever I’m controlling, pop! No more mind control.”

Patton hummed in interest and nodded his head. The two of them sat in the car for a minute in complete silence.

“So-”

“Look, I know you’ve never been to one of these, so there are a few rules you gotta follow,” Remy twisted in his seat and pointed an index finger. “Number one: don’t let these guys see you use your powers until it’s showtime. They’ll kidnap you faster than I can snap my fingers, and I already have enough people to rescue tonight, m’kay? Two, let me do all the talking. Smile and wave, but don’t say a word. Number three, don’t, and I mean _don’t_ let anything they say get to you. They’re all like the worst of the worst, and they’re gonna say stuff that’s gonna make you want to slowly peel their skin off and dump acid on their eyes, but you can’t let it get under your skin. Our job is to get those kids in and out not start a fight. Got it?”

Patton slowly nodded his head.

“Okay good.” Remy adjusted the tie and suit at his neck, and he opened his car door.

Patton took a deep breath in and out, and he exited his door as well. He straightened out the bottom of his tux and looked ahead.

The gravel path circled a lit fountain and lead to a marble staired path. Guards stood all around keeping a close eye on the perimeter. Every once and a while, they’d whisper into their headsets to someone on the other end.

Remy held his head tall as he strutted to the staircase. Patton doubled his step size to keep up with him. They soon fell in step, shoulder to shoulder, and Patton couldn’t help but feel like a secret agent going to save the day.

Two of the guards watched as Remy and Patton passed, and Patton tried not to make eye contact. He stared straight ahead, his heart pounding a mile a minute in his chest.

Remy whispered beside him, “You look like a kid caught in the cookie jar. Loosen up.”

“I’m sorry. I’m just not good at lying,” Patton replied.

“You lied to a ton of people about being a deviant, right?”

“Well, yeah, but that was different-”

“No, it’s the same. You’re keeping yourself safe. And think of it this way. Those kids need you to lie, m’kay? Their lives depend on it, so lie like a hot bitch on the beach.”

Patton swallowed the built-up phlegm down his throat. He didn’t know how convincing he was at lying, but he fooled Virgil all these years, so at least he was somewhat good. He supposed he could lie about his identity on purpose again. For the kiddos.

A woman in dark sunglasses who held a clipboard greeted them at the door. Remy cursed under his breath as they approached. She tapped her pen on the paper and glanced up at them, her eyes completely covered from view.

“Names?”

“Benedict and Martin Moriarty,” Remy answered. Patton rose an eyebrow. 

The woman scanned through her list. She frowned and looked up. 

“I don’t see anyone with that name on the list.”

Remy scoffed and dropped his jaw. “We better be on the list. I paid a lot of money just to get here!”

The woman flipped through once more.

“I’m sorry, Mr. Moriarty, but you and your… guest aren’t on the list.”

“I can’t believe this. I can’t! Someone get Joey on the phone. I’m gonna rip him a new asshole. The nerve! Inviting me all this way when I could’ve been relaxing on my beach house but not putting me on the list. Is Joey here? I wanna talk to him.”

“Sir, please calm down.”

“Calm down? Calm down! I was _promised_ a seat for that deviant that has the healing blood, but noooo, me and my husband have to go all the way back to Hawaii and pray that our daughter gets better. Have you ever tried to pray cancer away? It doesn’t work.”

Several guards stared at them now, and Patton swallowed. So much for being inconspicuous. 

“I understand, but-”

“YO JOE!” Remy said as he stormed past. The woman called out for Remy to stop, but he didn’t listen. She pushed a button on her headset and began to whisper.

Remy picked the closest man to him, turned him around by the shoulder, and stared into his eyes.

“Am I a fucking joke to you?” Remy snapped, “Friends since middle school, and you leave me high and dry outside? Tell them you know me.”

The man looked up at the woman, who paused mid radio for backup security and cleared his throat.

“I know him.”

The woman chuckled. “And you are?”

“He’s Joey Sinclair.”

“I’m Joey Sinclair.” the man repeated.

“And he invited us here the other week.”

“I did.”

“And he forgot to put us on the list.”

“Yes.”

The woman glanced between Remy and his victim, and she sighed heavily through her nose. She turned to Patton, who gave her a forced smile.

“Fine, you two can go in. Just remember this is a private event and we expect you to behave in a civilized manner.”

“Don’t forget to put me on the list again and we’ll think about it,” Remy snapped and grabbed Patton’s hand. He pulled Patton along until they buried themselves deep in the group of chattering attendees.

Remy hummed and straightened out his suit.

“That went better than I expected. Thanks for playing along, hubby,” he said as he leaned in and kissed Patton on the cheek. Patton wiped the remains away with his palm.

“What was that all about?” Patton asked.

“Deceit couldn’t squeeze our codenames on the list in time for the event, so I had to improvise. I hope you don’t mind.”

Patton wrinkled his brow but didn’t comment. Judging by how smoothly Remy ran his plan, he must’ve done it a thousand times. How often did they break people out of these places?

“Okay, so here’s what’s gonna go down. They’re all going to stand around like people with too much money and time on their hands, and then they’re going to start bidding off the traders. As soon as that’s over, they’re going to have dinner and talk about what scumbags they are. That’s our chance to break these kids out.”

“Bidding? But one of them was just a baby.”

Remy grimaced and replied, “He’s not on the market yet. They won’t do anything with him until they know he has powers, but luckily for us, his mom is still nursing and he should be with her.”

Patton nodded.

A woman grabbed a champagne glass from a nearby host and spied Remy and Patton. Her blood-red lips smiled as she closed in for the kill. Her blonde hair wrapped around her head into a strict bun, and her black cocktail dress flowed behind her in the breeze. Remy did his best to pretend she didn’t exist.

“Well, I haven’t seen a turnout this big since the luck kid was here,” she spoke, her accent sounding like someone trying to imitate a British accent.

Remy nodded and grabbed his glass from the same host. He took a sip and offered it to Patton.

“Oh, no thanks,” Patton spoke. “I don’t drink.”

Remy shrugged and started sipping on it himself.

“You look familiar. Have we met before?” she asked.

Remy strained a grin and chuckled. “No, I don’t think so. I’d remember a face like that.”

The woman grimaced. She cleared her throat and asked, “So, which deviant are you hoping to get?”

“The healer,” Remy answered, still refusing to look at her. “We have a sick daughter who could use the deviant’s blood.”

The woman hummed. “Well, good luck, because she’s the one I’m after. I could really use a facelift and 10 years knocked off my appearance, and maybe if she has any blood left, I’ll sell it to some desperate sick person to earn some money back.”

Patton’s eyes widened. Remy squeezed his hand on Patton’s shoulder, and he forced a smile.

“Well, may the richest person win,” he said and toasted his glass. She smirked and tapped her own against it. With a wink, she turned on a heel and went off to talk to someone else.

Remy let his smile melt into a scowl, and he clenched his jaw.

“I hate that bitch.”

“Who is she?”

“Don’t know, don’t care. Just know her way too well.”

Patton wanted to ask more, but a spoon tapping a glass caught his attention. He looked up at a balcony. A man with slicked-back hair stood at the rails and cleared his throat.

“Good evening, everyone. I’m sure by now you know what you’re all here for.” He paused. “It’s the delicious roast we prepare every year, isn’t it?”

The people around them laughed.

The man continued, “We have quite a selection tonight. I haven’t had this many deviants since the baby boom of ‘02, so I’m hoping everyone can walk away happy. And now, without further ado, let the bidding begin and the richest person win.”

The group erupted into applause and chatter. Remy gripped his glass a little too tight and didn’t let his eyes leave the announcer. Patton pretended to clap with enthusiasm.

“Here comes the worst part,” Remy whispered to him.

Patton’s applause died down. Eager whispers snaked through the air, and a few people shushed others like hissing cockroaches. 

A picture appeared on a drop down screen below the balcony. A woman well into her 50s was pictured on the screen, her black hair grayed and pulled into a loose bun. Her black eyes held no light. She either had an age spot or a bruise on her right cheek.

“The first deviant up for bid is a lovely exotic woman from Japan who can see into the future, good for knowing tomorrow’s stock prices or whether or not to invest in your next big product. The maximum rent time is one week, and the bidding starts at one hundred thousand.”

A hand shot in the air. “One fifty thousand.”

Another chimed in. “One sixty!”

Patton’s jaw dropped lower and lower as more and more numbers called out. Remy held the glass to his lips, and every once and a while, he’d take a small sip.

“Three fifty going once, going twice… sold!”

Applause swallowed the room. Murmurs filtered in soon after, and the room faded into silence.

“How long does this go on for?” Patton asked.

“Usually a half hour.”

Patton’s stomach twisted. He’d either throw up or punch someone or both by the end of the night. How did Remy stay so calm through all this? Wasn’t he pissed? How could he stand such unfair treatment?

One by one, several other faces appeared on the screen. Each one was followed by a brief description, some way to use them, and people screaming out numbers like they were livestock. Fajjr’s picture turned up at some point. Sometime between the bids, Patton ended up with his head buried in the crook of Remy’s neck with Remy rubbing a hand up and down Patton’s arm in comfort. He didn’t want to be here anymore. He didn’t have the heart.

“Patton,” Remy whispered, “That’s her. That’s Molly.”

Patton’s head snapped up. He saw the innocent 6 year old’s picture appear on the screen, and he sucked in a breath. No wonder the poor thing looked so frightened. She had no idea who would be taking her home tonight.

“And now we have this lovely Latina cutie all the way from Arizona with magical healing blood. One drop can close wounds, and a lot could turn you young and beautiful again. Just try not to drain her like a leech. We need her back, unfortunately, within the day so that her blood can recover. Bidding starts at one million.”

Whispers and outcries clouded the room. Several hands shot up at once, all screaming out different numbers.

“Five million!” The woman who spoke to them earlier shouted.

“Six!”

“Six fifty!”

Remy cleared his throat. “Fifty million.”

The room dropped to dead silence. Several heads screwed around to figure out who the extremely generous donor was, and several people started to whisper. The woman who they spoke to scowled, and Remy smirked.

“Any bids higher than Fifty million?” the announcer asked. The room stayed quiet. “Going once? Going twice… sold!”

The room hesitantly clapped.

A few more people showed up on the screen and the bidding ended. People walked around and congratulated one another. Remy breathed a sigh of relief, and he turned to Patton.

“You doing okay, babe?”

Patton couldn’t stop shaking.

“That was horrible.”

“I know,” Remy said and laid a gentle kiss to Patton’s forehead. “You made it through the hard part though, don’t worry. It’s smooth sailing from here.”

That familiar clacking of heels approached, but Patton couldn’t find the energy to look at her. He could hear the frown on her lips as she spoke.

“Well, I hope you’re happy.”

“What’s the matter, love? Jealous because you won’t look a day over 105?”

“I hope your daughter makes a quick recovery.” The venom in her voice spoke otherwise.

“Relax, babe, you’ll get another shot at her at the next auction. No need to get your panties in a bunch.”

The woman stormed off, and Remy snorted.

“Rich people.”

Patton glanced up in time to watch her walk away. He swallowed his dry throat and asked, “Remy, where are we going to get the money to pay for Molly?”

“That’s the trick. We’re not paying for her.”

“But-”

“Trust Deceit. They’ve got this rescue stuff down to a “T” by now.”

The announcer from the balcony tapped a glass once again, and the room fell to silence.

“Thank you all once again for coming. Before we end the evening, we invite you all to our after party feast. Then, once you’re ready to head out, you can go to the collection hall and pick up your prize. Just make sure you stop and get your ticket with cash in hand. Oh, and Mr. Delanie, no invisible ink this year.”

A few chuckles preceded excited chatter as people started filtering to the dining hall. Remy stayed put and watched everyone around them leave.

“I hope you’re not hungry,” he mumbled.

“After that?”

“I know. It was a joke.” Remy grabbed onto Patton’s hand and started swinging it. “Remember, we’re husbands taking Molly to help our sick daughter. You’ve been doing good so far, but I just wanted to refresh your memory.”

Patton nodded. Remy excused himself like a trout going upstream as Patton followed behind him. He stopped in front of a balding man with a goatee and thick circle glasses.

“My husband isn’t feeling so good, so if you don’t mind, we’re going to pick up our prize and be on our way.”

“Of course. Which one did you snatch?”

“Number 23, the healer girl.”

“Ah yes, the fifty million. I must say, I think you broke a record for the highest jump.”

“Well, what can I say. A father will do anything to save their little girl, isn’t that right babe?” He pulled Patton in close and kissed his temple. Patton nodded his head robotically.

The man looked as interested as a child at a stock meeting.

“Will this be cash or check?”

Remy lowered his sunglasses and stared into the man’s eyes. Patton watched the same fog cloud the man’s vision as Remy stared.

“We already paid, so give us our ticket.”

“Of course.” The man dug around in his pocket and pulled out a piece of paper to Remy. “Here’s your ticket. I hope you enjoyed her.”

Remy snatched it and took off down the hall. He hurried Patton down a long hallway with security guards stationed at every door. One of the guards, coincidentally the woman from before, turned her attention to them and sneered.

“Which number do you have?” she asked.

“Twenty three,” Remy answered.

She nodded and motioned for them to follow her. Patton could hear the tears of despair from people locked behind numbered doors. He tried to regain his composure. Why weren’t they saving everyone?

They stopped in front of a numbered door. The woman turned a key inside the lock, and she opened it. Remy and Patton stepped inside.

“Someone should assist you soon to make sure the deviant is suitable for travel,” she said.

“She better be. I paid a lot of money and came a long way to get her,” Remy hissed.

The woman rolled her eyes. She shut the door behind Patton and Remy, and it clicked closed.

In the corner, Molly pressed herself into a ball and clutched a stuffed bear to her chest. She shook like a leaf. Her white dress barely covered her legs, and it looked like it had been worn for days.

Remy let go of Patton, and he slowly approached Molly. The girl whimpered and started crying.

“Hey there, sweetheart,” Remy coaxed. He kneeled quite a distance from her to give some space. 

“Leave me alone,” she whimpered. 

“We’re not here to hurt you. We’re here to save you.”

Molly peeked over her kneecaps and stared Remy down. Remy sat criss-cross on the floor and motioned to Patton to join him. Patton moved involuntarily and sat beside Remy.

“Why?” Molly asked.

Remy smirked. He cupped his hands together and generated some gold dust. The girl’s eyes widened. Remy absorbed the sand back into his palms before it reached anyone.

“Because I’m just like you.”

Molly’s eyes danced between Remy and Patton. She opened her mouth to speak but closed it soon after. Remy checked the watch on his wrist.

“In 60 seconds, Deceit’s bug should cut off security cameras for five minutes. That gives us enough time to knock out the guards and get Molly, Fajjr, and Jeremiah out of here.”

“But what about the others?” Patton asked.

Remy’s lips pulled into a deep frown. He sighed through his nose and swallowed hard.

“We can’t save everyone.”

“Why not?”

“Not enough time. Someone will grow suspicious.”

“That’s a bad excuse!”

“Jeez, calm down, Patton. If Deceit and I get our way, these Trader rings will be shut down sooner than later.”

Patton pouted and he crossed his arms. He thought of all the faces he’d seen, of all the people waiting for fate to deliver the bad cards they’d been dealt with, and clenched his jaw. 

Remy dug around in his bag and pulled out a small bracelet with blue and white streaks on it. He opened the metal clasp and held it out.

“Here,” Remy said and motioned for Patton’s writs, “Put this on.”

Patton furrowed his brow. He held out his right wrist, and Remy snapped the bracelet in place. A mechanical beep sounded. It weighed practically nothing.

Remy instructed, “Now, press the "P” button.“

Patton turned his wrist until he found it. His left index finger pressed the button. A little beep followed, and the bracelet started to grow. It spread up his arm, swallowed his clothes, and pressed firmly against his skin.

The uniform was all blue, save for a small white cape on the back. Gray lightning streaks lined the side, and an italicized spiky “P” rested on the chest. A silver belt ran around the middle. The pants led to a thick pair of white shoeless soles. The last thing to settle on his face was a pair of clear goggles.

“You’re going to need your Palpitation costume for this to work.”

Patton’s jaw dropped.

Remy smirked and continued, “I know, I know, it’s not your cute little suit, but Deceit thought since you’re an official superhero now, you should have an official superhero suit. It’s flame resistant and easy to breathe in, and it should let you run up to the speed of sound. And those goggles? They can tell you how fast you’re running and help you talk to the team.”

Patton took the material in his hand and ran his thumbs over it. He couldn’t help the giddy smile on his lips.

“You’re superheroes?” Molly asked.

Remy nodded. The watch on his arm beeped. Remy hit a button on his wrist, and a black suit covered him just like it did Patton. The fabric sparkled in the low light like stars. His glasses changed into large goggles. Remy looked up at Patton, and he grinned.

“Showtime. I’m going to knock out as many guards as I can and find Jeremiah and Fajjr. You get Molly out of here.”

Patton nodded. The material felt like a body ice pack as he moved. Patton took a deep breath.

“Ready to get out of here?” he asked. Molly nodded her head. “I’m going to have to pick you up.”

Molly pressed herself into the corner and whimpered, “I don’t want to be touched.”

“I know,” Patton said and knelt down, “but it will be over before you know it, trust me. Then I’ll never touch you again if you don’t want me to, okay?”

Molly eyed him over. She slowly stood up from her crouched down spot and squeezed her teddy bear to her chest.

“Okay.”

Patton smiled as he picked her up into his arms. She weighed practically nothing. Patton frowned as a few ribs brushed against his fingertips through her thin nightgown. He took a deep breath. Time slowed down as he raced out of the room. Molly’s distorted slow scream sounded in his ear, but Patton easily ignored it. In the upper right hand corner of his goggles, the number of his speed rose up to 80 miles per hour. Patton grinned. Now he could easily keep track of how fast he had to run to not hurt anyone instead of guessing. He navigated himself through the mess of halls and stopped outside of their car. Time sped up again, and Patton placed Molly in the back seat.

“Stay here and stay hidden,” he informed her. Molly nodded and clutched her bear to her chest. Patton smiled, “You’re doing great, Molly. You’re very brave.”

Molly sent him a smile. Patton dashed back into the mansion and into the halls where the auctioned people were being kept. Several guards lay on the floor asleep. Patton hastened at a human speed down the hall.

“Remy?” he called out.

“I’m down the hall,” Remy’s voice said clear as day. It sounded like his goggles said it.

Patton traveled down the hall and around the corner. Remy shoved a key into a door and cracked it open. He glanced inside, said a quick “nope,” then crossed the hall to the next door.

“What are you doing?”

“Looking for Fajjr and Jeremiah.” Remy pulled out another key, shoved it in the door, and opened it. His face lit up when he looked inside. “Bingo.”

Remy disappeared inside. Patton followed. Unlike Molly’s room, this one had a window, and through the silhouette of the moon, Patton could tell Fajjr was hurrying to cover herself up with a blanket on her bed.

“Easy,” Remy said, “we’re not here to hurt you.”

“Are you the bastards who bought me?” Fajjr asked.

“No,” Remy said with a laugh.

Fajjr’s eyes turned to Patton, and she quirked a brow. “What’s up with The Flash wannabe?”

“Oh, honey, he’s not just a wannabe. He’s the real deal.”

Patton tried to genuinely smile, but it came out awkward. 

Fajjr glanced between the two of them and chewed her lip. “Then why are you both here if you haven’t bought me?”

“Because we’re stealing you.”

Fajjr gave a dry laugh, but her amusement died. “You’re serious?”

“Yeah. I need you to hang onto my Flash buddy here and get yourself out to safety in the next-” Remy checked his watch- “two minutes.”

Fajjr shifted on the bed, and she bowed her head. “C-can he take me with a blanket wrapped around my body?”

“I’m sure I could,” Patton answered.

Fajjr looked ready to cry. She shifted the blanket on her around her better. Patton walked over to her and helped, making sure her body was properly covered. Something shifted below her chest.

“Just please be careful of Jeremiah,” she whispered.

Patton furrowed his brow. His brain connected the dots, and Patton’s body froze. Fajjr, a fourteen year old girl, was nursing the 6 month old baby below the sheets. Whether it was a consensual pregnancy or not, she shouldn’t be here in a place like this trying to take care of a child while she was a child herself. What kind of monsters-

Remy cleared his throat, and Patton snapped out of his thoughts.

“One minute,” Remy said and tapped a finger on his watch. 

Patton nodded his head. He gingerly scooped Fajjr up into his arms and cradled her against his chest. He didn’t know what speeds he could safely run with a baby, so he tried to pace himself the best he could. A bicyclist could probably keep up with him if they peddled fast enough as his speed only reached 35 miles per hour according to his goggles.

As Patton exited the house and opened the car door, Molly jumped in her seat and burst into tears.

“You’re back! I was so scared! These strange men started walking by, and-” Molly caught Fajjr in Patton’s arms, and her jaw dropped.

“Can you scootch over, kiddo? I need room for one- two- I need room for two more.”

Molly did as Patton asked. Fajjr adjusted herself in the car and peeked under the blanket to make sure Jeremiah was unharmed. The baby didn’t make a sound the whole trip.

“I’m going back in for Remy,” Patton informed. “You girls stay here. I’ll be right back.”

Patton’s ears picked up police sirens. He stood up straight, and a ton of flashing lights lit the street. Several police cars lined the front of the building, all with officers ready to spring into action.

A helicopter light flashed above him. Patton shielded his eyes as his hair blew around him. He shut the door to the car to protect Molly and Fajjr inside.

“Nobody leaves,” an officer yelled, “arrest everyone inside. Remind them of their rights, but don’t kill. We don’t need another lawsuit from a rich asshole on our hands.”

Patton watched several officers storm inside. He breathed a sigh of relief and reopened the car door.

“Please stay here. I’m going to make sure no one needs help.”

“Be careful,” Molly whispered.

Patton offered her a smile, “I’ll do my best.”


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Patton and Remy take a trip down a not so pleasant memory lane. Patton gets to meet a new ally, and Deceit tries to make an ally out of Patton.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Warnings: talks of human trafficking, human trafficking survival story, talks about child abuse, child abduction mention, forced captivity mention, loss of consciousness, eating, manipulative behavior, suicide mention, death mention, hostage mention  
Word Count: 4219

Police buzzed about the area, some arresting the bidding guests and taking them to their cruisers, some covering up victims with shock blankets and talking them through the trauma, and some checking to make sure they picked up everyone who was at the event. Some of the trade victims cried tears of joy while others didn’t say a word.

Molly and Fajjr stayed inside the car. Molly buried her face in Fajjr’s blanket, too afraid of the police sirens to move, and Fajjr was not going anywhere in her condition anyway. The young mother watched Palpitation buzz between officers and victims, making sure everyone was alright and helping those he could.

A big black truck appeared on the scene, and Patton watched news crews scatter around the area. His stomach burned. Leave it to the news to exploit people’s trauma for views.

But on the other hand, maybe this was a good thing. Maybe now people would hear their story and start to care. Powered people were here, and they’re being treated like garbage.

One of the reporting people Patton recognized, and he ran up to them.

“Joan!” he cried out.

Joan turned around and caught Patton hurrying toward them. Their smile widened as they walked to close the distance.

“Palpitation! Should’ve known you were involved in all of this.”

Patton put his hands on his hips and didn’t hide his frown. “I shouldn’t have had to, but sometimes people are horrible.”

“Do you mind giving me a brief interview?” Joan asked.

Patton sighed in relief. He knew Joan well enough that they wouldn’t skew the truth. They’d put Patton’s words in just like he said them. Patton wondered if they knew someone powered or if they were closeted themselves, but he never asked. He just knew Joan was a good ally to have, powered or not.

“I don’t mind,” Patton replied.

Joan readied their equipment and set up for the quick interview. They cleared their throat and held the microphone out for Patton to hold. Patton took it. Joan giving him the power to speak was one of his favorite parts about being interviewed by them.

“Alright, so can you explain what’s going on here as briefly as you can?”

“Of course. Powered people are being trafficked for their abilities.” Nightmares resurfaced in his mind. “They were being auctioned off like cattle. The people selling them were making millions off them.”

Joan’s lips pulled into a tight line. They swallowed hard as they asked, “How many people were being held captive?”

“Here? We saved 34 people, but from what I’ve been told, there are other rings all over the world.”

“How long has this been going on?”

“I don’t know, I’m sorry.”

“No, it’s okay. Do you have any comments on the situation?”

Patton’s face darkened. Joan took a step back, but their footing returned soon after. Patton’s words were low and strong, something not many people saw out of the playful speedster.

“If you run one of these rings, I’m coming for you, so you better be a good runner.”

Joan waited a moment then chuckled nervously. “Wow, Palpitation, I’ve never seen you so intimidating.”

“That’s because this-” Patton gestured to the building- “is what happens when you pretend people don’t matter. They end up as a news article for people to pity. But the problem is, no one pities us outside of the news. No one stands up for us when we’re on the street. No one stops to help when they see us being discriminated against. They all think they can watch it on the news, send some thoughts and prayers, then idolize me for the same reason they hate others. Most of us just want a chance to be who we are, not take over the city because we have a gift.”

Patton stopped and blinked the angry tears from his eyes. He continued, “All we want is a chance.”

Joan held their hand out, and Patton passed the microphone back to them. They smiled wide and spoke into the microphone.

“Well, hopefully in the future, powered people will become more accepted.”

Patton nodded his head absentmindedly. He turned his attention toward the car and noticed Remy waving for him to join. Patton furrowed his brow, and he excused himself from Joan. He sped over to the car, and Remy rolled down the window.

“Hop in. We gotta get these girls home before the system picks them up.”

Patton creased his brow. He walked over to the other side of the car, and Remy hit a switch on the dash. The scenery around the car wobbled.

Remy whispered, “Be quiet. They can’t see or hear us right now.”

Patton held his breath as the car snuck out past the gates. It pulled out onto the street without so much as catching one officer’s attention. Remy pushed the button again, and the car’s engine roared. He sped down the street and toward Deceit’s manor.

As they drove, Patton couldn’t help but notice how much calmer Remy was. Of course, it could’ve had to do with the assignment being over, but he almost looked at peace. Patton bit his lip and fidgeted with his fingers.

At some point, both girls fell asleep in the back seat. Patton smiled as he turned to get a better look at them. Molly curled into Fajjr’s side, and she snored lightly. Fajjr’s head flopped back against the headrest. Jeremiah stayed quiet throughout the entire car ride.

“I can’t imagine what they’ve gone through,” Patton whispered. “To go through something like that so young… it’s got to be traumatic.”

“It is.”

Patton turned his attention to Remy. The driver’s lips were pulled tight, and his eyes stared blankly at the road.

Patton pieced the puzzle together.

“Remy, were you… were you a…”

“I was a trader, yeah,” Remy answered. Patton sucked in a breath. Remy sighed through his nose and continued, “I was about… five I think when I was taken from my mom. She left me play in the park, and this nice looking American man who was here to cover some sort of natural disaster came to ask if I wanted some free ice cream, only… it wasn’t free. The price was me.”

Patton cringed. “Where were you from?”

“Born and kinda raised in Argentina,” He snuffed, “and then I was smuggled here. I didn’t even speak English. I picked it up by listening to the people who took me.”

“Do you remember any Spanish?”

“A little,” he replied. “I only remember easy things though, like mom and milk and don’t hurt me and I want to go home.”

Patton cringed. His eyes stung, and he sucked in his bottom lip.

“I can’t imagine what you went through.”

“I don’t want you to.”

“Did people- how many people bought you?”

“I lost count. I can remember a few of them though.” His hands tightened on the steering wheel. “You remember that lady who talked to us tonight? Well, she was one of them. She bought me twice I think. Each time was to put her daughter to bed so she wouldn’t have to. She had a sweet kid though.”

Patton shook his head.

“I do remember this one old lady who bought me when I was little. She was… well, she wasn’t that bad. I mean, if it wasn’t for the whole buying thing, I would’ve thought she was the sweetest little old lady. She talked to me a lot and taught me English. She told me stories about her kids and her grandkids, who were all too far away to talk to her. I think she tried to adopt me, but they wouldn’t let her. She’s probably dead by now, but I’m kinda wondering how she’s doing if she’s still alive.”

Remy fidgeted in his seat, and Patton stayed quiet, letting Remy vent to his heart’s content.

“It wasn’t always that nice though. I remember this one asshole- this one inhuman asshole- locking me in a closet during the day so I wouldn’t escape. And I remember people were allowed to keep me for months if they kept paying for me. I think I was there for about five months. He glued a blindfold to my eyes so I couldn’t use my mind powers on him, and because it was such a “good idea” the assholes back at the trader camp kept blinding me for… gosh, I don’t know how long. At least a year I think. It took Deceit hours to remove the damn thing.” 

A lump rose to Patton’s throat, and his skin burned with the thought. 

“How long?”

“Maybe about three hours.”

“No, I mean, how long were you stuck in that trader place?”

“Ooooh, I think I was in it for 9 years- maybe 10. I was 14 when Deceit rescued me and Cass- oh, you haven’t met Cassie yet. She’s a gem. Anyway, Deceit rescued me from a trader camp and took me in. They knew what would happen if the system got ahold of us. We’d either be experimented on or kicked out into the streets. No one wanted to adopt a teenager with baggage, y’know?”

Patton lowered his head. He couldn’t think of anything to say to that. The silence chiseled his heart.

Remy continued, “That’s why Deceit’s kinda like my parent. I don’t know why they chose to save just me and Cass, but they did. Probably because they couldn’t convince the police to care long enough to save the others.”

“Do you… do you think you’ll ever try to find your real parents?”

Remy shrugged. “I don’t speak Spanish anymore, so I wouldn’t be able to understand her anyway. And besides, I don’t even know if she’s still alive.”

“But she has to be heartbroken.”

“Yeah, well, I don’t know. I don’t want to go back. I want to stay here and help deviants who need it, and I can’t do that without Deceit’s help. Besides, here I know I’m safe. There… who knows what it’s like to be a deviant there.”

Patton nodded his head. He sighed and put his elbow on the window sill. The scenery passed by them in a blur, just like his thoughts. The morning sun peeked over the house, and the city’s buildings started to bask in its rays. No wonder Patton grew so tired. He’d been up all night. He wondered if Logan would worry if he took a nap at Deceit’s manor. This time, he’d send Logan a text to make sure he didn’t worry. He wouldn’t repeat the same mistake he made with Virgil.

Virgil’s name twisted in his gut. He should apologize. After talking with Roman, Patton’s fears about telling Virgil he was Palpitation ran away, and he had a bit more confidence. Virgil deserved to know. Besides, Roman was right. If Virgil didn’t accept him, it was his loss, not Patton’s-

“Hey,” Remy interrupted, “We’re getting close to the house, so I’m gonna have to knock you out again.”

“It’s fine. I’m used to it,” Patton mumbled back.

“Chin up, babe. You’re getting closer to Deceit trusting you with knowing where we’re at. Besides, after tonight, you’re kinda like, part of my team.”

“But I already have a team,” Patton replied.

Remy grimaced. He sighed through his nose and nodded, “Yeah, I know, but I was kinda like hoping you’d want to join us. We’re only trying to help others, just like you.”

“And I want to, but Palpitation and Intuition are a package deal.”

“Well, tell you what, babe. This is a volunteer-only party. No one’s gonna make you stay right now.”

Patton did smile at that. He nodded his head and said a quick “thanks.”

Remy put Patton’s window up, and he held his palm out. “Sleep tight, Pat. See you at the house.” He watched Patton’s body slump against the seat and drew a deep breath. “You might not want to now, but you’ll stay.”

–

Patton awoke on the same bed as before, but this time, the door was wide open. He sat up and ran a hand through his hair. Sometime during the night, someone must’ve changed him out of his Palpitation uniform and now he wore his normal outfit. He did notice the blue and white woven band still wrapped around his wrist. Patton contemplated taking it off, but he should probably ask about it first. He slipped on the blue slippers beside the bed, and he shimmied out of the room. The sweet scent of marshmallows floated from the fireplace. Patton’s stomach growled, and he cradled his stomach.

A voice laughed from the couches.

“I hear you, Patton,” a young sounding voice spoke. “Come on over and join us. We’re celebrating.”

Patton walked over to the couches. He spied Molly and Fajjr, who were both wrapped around rather fuzzy purple blankets, and sent a smile. Molly smiled back, but Fajjr didn’t look up at him. He sat down beside who he assumed to be Deceit, a young eastern Asian man in his early 20s wearing an oversized ugly snake Christmas sweater and black sweatpants.

“How are you feeling?” Deceit asked, passing Patton melted marshmallow and chocolate squished between graham crackers.

“Okay,” Patton replied and took a bite. The chocolate marshmallow mix squeezed out the sides and stuck to the corner of his lips. He licked it away as Deceit chuckled.

“I’m glad everyone made it back okay,” Deceit replied, “especially you. I was worried you wouldn’t be able to handle that place, but I needed you.”

Patton lowered the treat in his hand. He took a deep breath and sighed through his nose.

“I didn’t even know places like that existed. How can people be so cruel?”

“People can do a lot of things that will surprise you.”

“I just don’t know how they can sleep at night knowing they’re hurting innocent people.”

“Because, to them, we’re not people, Patton. We’re profit.”

Patton sunk into his chair, and he sighed heavily through his nose. He took another bite of his treat.

Molly shifted on the couch and sat just like Patton did, imitating the slouch and everything. She sighed through her nose and clutched an old stuffed snake close to her chest. Fajjr settled down deeper into her blanket and cradled Jeremiah to her chest like a lifeline. 

The air chilled, and Patton shivered. Did someone turn the air conditioner on? Why would they run the fireplace and the air conditioning?

Deceit turned his head. He smiled and spoke, “Did you sleep well, Cassie?”

Cassie. Patton recognized the name from his conversation with Remy. He turned around in his seat.

Cassie smiled, her square face framed by a thousand beautiful bouncing black curls. She wore an oversized sweater with pink with kittens on it that barely covered her shorts. Her right shoulder popped out of the neck hole. She wore fuzzy pink cat slippers. As she walked closer, the air got cooler.

“I did,” she answered Deceit, her voice smooth as soft butter. She spied the girls on the couch, and her lips pulled into a tight line. “Oh. You didn’t tell me we had guests.”

“It was a last minute thing,” Deceit replied.

Cassie’s eyes landed on Patton, and her frown pulled into a genuine smile. “Well, hello there sweetie. I heard a lot of great things about you.”

Patton sent a quick smile back and said, “I… haven’t heard much about you though, sorry.”

Cassie laughed and shook her head. “Oh, that’s okay. I like my privacy. My names Cassie, but you can call me Cass if you want.”

“Well, hey there, Cassie. Nice to meet you.”

“And you too, Palpitation.”

Patton’s smile twitched. He lowered his head and chuckled. “Please call me Patton.”

“Alright, Patton, or should I call you_ Pal-ton_?”

Patton’s laugh bounced around the room. “That’s kinda how I got my hero name. See, Lo-um Intuition- when I was trying to pick out my name said I should be “Palpitation” because my heartbeat is pretty fast. I think he said my resting heart rate is 150 beats per minute. And I said it was a great name because I was his pal.” Patton chuckled. “He didn’t think it was so funny.”

“Well, I think it’s a great name.”

“Thanks. Do you, uh, have a superhero name?”

“What, you mean like Rem? Well, I never really gave it any thought. The superhero business isn’t my style. I’m happy saving people as just Cassie.”

“Well, what’s your power?”

Cassie smiled. She held out her palm in front of Patton. The air grew cold, and a chunk of jagged ice built from her palm up. Patton’s eyes widened.

“Ice control, mostly. I’m the reason it’s so cold around here.”

Molly perked up on the couch. “Ooh, like Elsa!”

Cassie smiled. “Yes, sweetie, just like Elsa.”

“Maybe we should call you Queen Elsa then,” Patton said with a smile, “Sorry, couldn’t let that one go.”

Cassie shook her head and chuckled. She turned her attention to Deceit and spoke, “The news is going to run a broadcast on the trader manor after the commercial break if you want to tune into it.”

“Thanks, Cassie,” they replied. “Why don’t you take the girls into their room. I’m sure they’re still exhausted from last night.”

Cassie gave a nod. Molly jumped off the couch, eager to learn more about this new superpowered person who reminded her of her favorite character. Fajjr was a bit more hesitant but followed nonetheless, more so out of not wanting to relive last night than anything.

Deceit hit a button beside their seat, and a television screen popped out of the wall above the fireplace. They turned the television on, and a commercial played on the screen.

Patton shifted to a criss-cross sitting position on the couch. He looked at the grandfather clock across the way. Surely, Logan was up and at work by now. He usually went in early on Saturdays.

Logan.

“Hey, Deceit,” Patton spoke. Deceit hummed. Patton took a deep breath and let it out. “Um, I really don’t want to go on missions anymore without Logan.”

Deceit frowned. They turned their head to Patton and quirked a brow.

“Look, I know Remy’s not the easiest person to work with, but-”

“No, it’s not that. I… Remy was a great partner, but Logan and I… we’re a team. If it wasn’t for Logan, I would’ve been in so much trouble when I started being Palpitation. He saved me so many times and I… I just don’t feel right doing it without him.”

Deceit made a hum of acknowledgment. They scratched the side of their face and asked, “That’s all well and good, but what if Logan doesn’t want to work for us?”

“Well then, I guess I probably won’t either.”

Deceit stayed silent. Patton felt the awkward creeping its way into his heart.

“But, Patton, we’re doing so much more here than fighting the bad guys on the street. We’re fighting for everyone who was sold in those trader camps. We’re fighting for those who lose their homes because of conventionals kicking them out. We’re fighting for equal rights. Doesn’t that matter more to you?”

“I didn’t say it didn’t.”

“But you implied it.”

“Don’t twist my words.”

“I’m not trying to twist your words, Patton, but I’m sure you won’t hear about deviant injustice on the police scanners. Besides, you can only help the conventional so much before they start to turn on you.”

Patton clenched and unclenched his jaws and hands. He stared down at the floor, and heat rose from his quickening heart. He sucked in a deep breath and held it.

“I don’t want to go on missions without Logan, and that’s final.”

“Fine,” Deceit grumbled. They turned their attention back to the news and grimaced. The air chilled, and Cassie was nowhere to be found.

“Deceit, I’m sorry, but I’m not about to leave Logan. He wouldn’t turn you down unless he has a good reason, and… and… I’ve hurt enough people close to me because of Palpitation. What would you do if someone asked you to leave Remy or Cassie or Molly or Fajjr just because you could do something bigger? Would you do it?”

Deceit’s expression softened to a sympathetic frown. They nodded their head and glanced down at the floor.

“I forgot you and Logan were cousins. Alright, Patton, if you truly don’t want to work without Logan anymore, I won’t make you.”

Patton offered a small smile. He breathed a sigh of relief.

“Thank you.”

The news sparked to life, and Thomas’s familiar face appeared on the screen. Patton’s attention perked up.

“Good morning, I’m Thomas Sanders, and welcome to the 9 o’clock news. Distressing reports from last night tell us that a local nightmare was busted up by the police and the famous Palpitation. According to our sources, several people were rescued from an underground human traffic ring. The victims varied in age and race, some not even speaking English. Here’s Joan with the full story.”

The scene shifted, and the manor appeared once again on the screen. Red and blue police lights flashed on the white marble. The next shot showed the police leading one of the bidders into the back of a police cruiser.

Joan’s voice spoke, “At 3:15 am, the police received a call from the local superhero Intuition that a human traffic ring was in the area. Intuition listed multiple people’s names attending the ring, including billionaire Hans Denarko and Senator Judy Holland, along with several iconic people running the city’s business industry.”

Patton furrowed his brow. He turned to Deceit, whose smile widened with each name. His attention returned to the screen as he saw a few victims he recognized, including the elderly Asian woman who started the bidding.

“Palpitation assisted victims tonight as they exited the manor, some unable to walk and others in critical health condition. From what I’ve been told, the leader of the ring, Arthur Callaghan, had committed suicide in his room before police arrived. Investigators are looking into seeing if it truly was an act of suicide or if foul play was involved, but the streets of the city can sleep easy knowing this ring is not going to harm them any longer.”

“Remy,” Deceit’s low voice spoke. He sighed through his nose and shook his head. “I told him not to do that.”

Patton creased his brow. “Wait, Remy killed him?”

“Sort of. You know that Remy can control people if he looks into their eyes, right?”

“Well yeah, but-” Patton paused- “you’re saying Remy made him commit suicide?”

“I’m pretty sure that’s what happened, yes. I told him to let the police handle him, to let that scum rot in jail, but he said someone that rich would pay bail and start the whole thing over again. He was probably right, but still.”

Patton’s face appeared on the screen once again, and he said the chilling words from before.

_“If you run one of these rings, I’m coming for you, so you better be a good runner.”_

Deceit whistled. They gave a low dark laugh, and they spoke, “Wow, that’s a little dark for you, don’t you think?”

“I was upset,” Patton defended. He sighed through his nose. “But I wouldn’t take it back. If it makes people think twice, I’d say it all over again.”

The story ended, and Patton furrowed his brow. Where was his speech about powered people? Why would Joan leave that part out? He thought those words were inspiring, but maybe they were too harsh to air on television.

Patton’s pocket buzzed. He creased his brow and pulled out his phone. His eyes widened as Virgil’s name appeared on the screen. Patton hurried to open the text.

Virgil: Pat, I’m sorry.

Patton stared down at the words for what felt like an eternity. Was that really how Virgil was going to apologize? There was no other text, no words to add on. Virgil didn’t like serious talk over texting, so what happened? His heartbeat quicked. Was he okay? Did he figure it out?

“Patton, look.”

Patton turned his attention back to the news. His heart dropped.

“-the store around 15 minutes ago. Police are trying to negotiate from the outside, but can’t get anywhere near the local store. At least 6 hostages are inside the building-”

“That’s Wei Market,” Patton spoke breathlessly as Virgil’s text made sense. “Deceit, I-I have to go. A friend of mine works there. He could be in trouble.”

“Go,” Deceit said. “Don’t worry about going to sleep. You’re about 5 miles from the city. Follow Route 425 north and you should run into Liberty street.”

“Thank you.”

“Oh, and Patton, that band on your wrist? Your suit is still on you, so you can change into Palpitation anytime you need in the press of a finger.”

Patton stared down at the band. He hit the button on his wrist. True to Deceit’s words, the clothes on his body faded away to the bright blue and white suit.

“Hurry,” Deceit whispered, “and good luck.”

“Thanks,” Patton answered. He took off, praying to every deity he knew to keep Virgil safe until he arrived.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Virgil is having a not so great day. If anything else bad happens, he's going to explode. Well... he really should choose his words more carefully.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Warnings: Fire mention, threats of violence, explosions, burns, guns, shooting, hostages, injuries, concussions, talks of dying, dizziness, hospitals  
Word Count: 4927

Virgil shoved his hands into his pocket as he exited the library. He expected Patton to be at work right now, but perhaps kicking Patton out of the apartment into a thunderstorm _would_ keep him home. He cursed under his breath. Had he known about the storm, he would’ve never kicked Patton out. Did Patton have somewhere to stay? Did he go to Logan’s house? Why didn’t he ask if Logan knew where Patton was?

Why was he such a screwup?

Virgil pushed the front door to Wei Market open and wiped his feet off on the doormat. He caught Mrs. Wei sweeping the tiled floor. She looked up at him, her aged eyes wrinkling as she smiled.

“Good morning, Virgil,” she said in a thick Chinese accent. “I hope you slept well last night. Have you eaten?”

“Morning Mrs. Wei, and yeah,” Virgil said with as genuine of a smile as he could muster up. He didn’t want to lie and say he didn’t eat anything since noon yesterday, but he worried his stomach would throw up anything he ate this morning. 

Mrs. Wei went back to sweeping the floor. Virgil slipped his apron on and checked into the register. He counted the money and made sure the change drawer was well stocked.

Time traveled slowly. Saturday mornings were usually slow until ten in the morning or so. Everyone wanted to sleep in or watch Saturday morning cartoons. Wait, did they even run Saturday morning cartoons anymore? Virgil sighed and leaned on the counter with his elbows.

A couple came through the doors and greeted Virgil. He sent them a quick smile and a half baked wave. The store returned to peace. A young woman chewing gum loudly and listening to blasting techno headphones bounced into the store, her purple heart backpack swaying side to side, and completely ignored Virgil. He was fine with that. Three other people, a family of four, entered the store with a screaming child. Virgil could’ve hit his head off the counter. Why was it so hard for people to keep their kids out of public if they were throwing a fit?

The first couple walked up to the register to check out their short list of spaghetti and vegan cheese, and Virgil rang them up. He didn’t see who came through the door, but he couldn’t care less right now. The total appeared on the screen, and the couple tried to pay through their card, but it wouldn’t go through. The woman kept trying, her face turning redder with every swipe, and the man shuffled nervously.

“I’m sorry,” Virgil replied after the fifth time, “but your card keeps getting denied.”

“No, that- that can’t be,” she said with tears in her eyes. “We just paid our bill yesterday. It shouldn’t be out now. Not now.”

The man next to her put a hand on her back and rubbed circles. “It’s okay, sugar bear. We can go home and come back later with the money. I’m sure they’ll hold it for us.” He caught Virgil’s eye, a pleading gleam lining his eyes.

Virgil stiffened. He looked between the couple and nodded his head. 

“Uh, yeah, it’s fine. I can just, like, put it behind the counter until you come back. It’s no big deal.”

The woman burst into tears, and she covered her face with her hands.

“I-I’m so sorry. I’m just s-s-o tired of this.” She hiccupped. “This is the th-third card this week.”

The rest of the store stared and stayed quiet, listening to the poor sobbing woman at the counter. Mrs. Wei stopped sweeping to stare. Even the screaming child quieted a bit.

Virgil sighed. He was never good with comforting people, let alone strangers, but his heart did ache for her.

He said in a hushed voice, “Listen, it’s not that much. I’ll pay for it.”

“No, I couldn’t ask that,” the man protested.

Virgil’s lips quirked into a half smile. “Look, I know what it’s like to show up with no money. It’s fine. Just pay it forward when someone else needs it, okay?”

The woman burst into tears all over again. The man pulled her in close and kissed her forehead.

“You have no idea what this means, kid. We’ve had such a rough month, and then losing our home to that fire the other day- this really does mean a lot.”

A gentle smile appeared on Virgil’s face. He sighed through his nose and nodded his head a few times.

“I do, but we’ll pretend I don’t. I hope things get better for you.”

The man wrinkled his brow and opened his mouth to ask what Virgil meant, but a rather loud voice cleared behind the couple and growled.

“Hey, if waterworks there is done crying all over the counter, move. Some of us have important business to attend to.” They pushed themselves between the couple and the counter. The man Virgil had just assisted pulled the woman back and tried to reach for his groceries. 

Virgil scowled and opened his mouth to ask what the rude customer needed, but they slammed their hands on the desk and made Virgil close up.

“Alright, listen here. I need a thousand in cash right now.”

Virgil recovered from his shock and put on his cold demeanor once again. “Look, I don’t know if you’re confused, but this isn’t a bank. We sell food here.”

“I know where I’m at,” they barked back.

“Well, I’m sorry, but I don’t even have that much in my register anyway, so-”

The stranger put their hand on the magazine rack beside them. It glowed red. Papers caught fire and exploded. Virgil ducked down behind the counter to shield himself from the debris and covered his ringing ears. He heard several muffled screams as chunks of metal and smoldering paper showered down on him.

“Then give me everything you got, or I’ll blow the entire store up,” they growled, “starting with you.”

Virgil’s hands refused to move from his ears. His heart pounded in his chest, and scared tears broke through his eyes. This stranger was a deviant. There was no way he could go up against someone with superpowers.

“I’m growing impatient!” they shouted.

Virgil slowly stood from his spot behind the counter. He did his best to look brave, but he probably looked as brave as a spooked rabbit. 

“Mark, is that you?” The man who shielded the woman beside him asked in a timid voice.

The stranger, now named Mark apparently, turned and wrinkled their nose.

“Oh, it’s you,” they almost whispered, “the fire didn’t get you?”

The woman swallowed a sniffle. She whimpered, “Mark, you don’t have to do this. I know we all lost our homes, but-”

“Shut up! You have no idea what I’ve been through this week!” Mark cried. They balled their hands into fists, “I lost the love of my life! I lost my car, my family, my kids! That bitch took everything from me!”

“So you’re taking it out on that kid who did nothing to you?” the man asked. “The Mark I knew had more honor than that.”

“Yeah, well, the Mark you knew died in that building,” they shot back. They turned back around to face Virgil. They grabbed onto Virgil’s left arm and pulled it across the counter. Mark’s breath smelled like sulfur as they whispered, “Now, you gonna give me the money or are you going to become right handed?”

Virgil gagged on Mark’s breath and tried to pull away. The man tried to separate the two of them, but Mark pushed him into a shelf. He cried out as he and it toppled over, spilling bottles and shattering jars.

Virgil’s arm started to heat up. He yelped as Mark’s hand burned a hole through his shirt sleeve.

“Alright, alright! Just let go,” Virgil yelled.

Mark let go of Virgil’s arm, and Virgil cradled it in his chest. He stared down at Mark’s handprint, now burned into his skin, and swallowed tears back down his throat.

“Well, I don’t have all day, kid. Get moving.”

Virgil caught Mrs. Wei’s worried eyes in the back. She slowly made her way closer and closer to the register with her broom in hand. Virgil opened the register and stared down at the measly two hundred dollars in his register. He didn’t know if he could distract the angry deviant at the register long enough for Mrs. Wei to enact her plan, but he hoped he could.

Police sirens screamed outside the door. Virgil and Mark both snapped their heads to the window.

“You called the cops?” Mark growled.

“I didn’t! Virgil protested. “You were with me the whole goddamn time!”

Two police cruisers parked outside of the store. A police officer exited the car, their gun ready to fire.

Mark grabbed a box of chocolate. As the officer opened the door, they threw the box. It exploded in the officer’s face, knocking the officer back onto the pavement.

Shots fired. Mark kept throwing exploding chocolate stationed below the register. One of the boxes landed on the police car. It threw the car back and across the street into traffic. Horns blared as cars crashed into it.

Mrs. Wei made it to Mark, finally. She wielded her broom like a bat and swung. It hit Mark’s head with a loud thunk. Mark cried out as they crashed into another upright shelf. Mrs. Wei tried to take another shot. She swung. Mark caught the broom midair. The handle smoked before it exploded in his hand. Mrs. Wei flew backward with a cry into the counter.

The explosion silenced the gunshots and the people inside the store. Mark rubbed their head as they slowly stood up. Virgil walked around the counter and helped Mrs. Wei up, who now had a trail of blood going down her bunned silver hair.

More police cruisers showed up outside of the building. Mark regained their balance and reached out for Mrs. Wei. Virgil tried to grab her, but Mark kicked him in the ribs. Virgil’s head cracked against the counter.

“No more guns or I’ll blow her up next,” Mark yelled through the now broken glass door. 

The officers outside the building hesitated and looked between each other. They kept their guns pointed. Mark burned Mrs. Wei’s arms, and she screamed. Two officers on the frontline dropped their guns and held up their hands.

“Easy, we don’t need any casualties here,” one officer spoke.

Virgil’s head ached as he laid on the ground. He rubbed the back of his head, and his fingers hit a large painful bump. A low curse escaped his lips. He tried to stand, but dizziness toppled his balance.

For someone who wanted to die on a daily basis, this wasn’t really how he wanted to go.

Who was going to call his parents and tell them? Who was going to console his mother? Who was going to come to his funeral? Would anyone say any kind words about him? Would Patton come?

Patton.

Virgil still needed to apologize. He couldn’t go yet. Not now. Not with Patton thinking that he hated him. Virgil fished around in his pocket, thankful that Mrs. Wei let him carry it around while he was on duty in case there was a family emergency. Well, Patton was his family, and this was an emergency.

Virgil did his best to scroll through his phone, his eyes not comprehending words well. Thankfully he didn’t let his anxiety get the best of him earlier and delete Patton’s number from his phone. He poked Patton’s picture twice before the text messages came up. Virgil stared at the last message he sent Patton. He remembered how scared he was when Patton didn’t come home that night. Ironically he imagined Patton in the very situation he was in now. Dead, cold, alone on the floor and wondering who would care when he died.

Virgil did his best to text what he wanted to say. Thinking took some effort. He managed to type in a quick “Patton, I’m sorry” thanks to autocorrect then hit send. His eyelids drooped.

Screams started to muffle in the background. He vaguely remembered more cars showing up. Virgil’s arm became lead, and it flopped to the floor. His phone clattered on the ground screen down.

No, he couldn’t go to sleep. Going to sleep with a head injury meant concussions and comas. He saw Patton get enough of those to know what happened. He had to stay awake. Virgil tried to stand up again, but he didn’t make it far before he collapsed back onto the ground. He cursed under his breath and observed the stalemate the grocery store came to.

The customers from before still stayed inside, even though they could run out if they wanted. The couple from before tried to reason with Mark, but they weren’t having any luck. The family before, the one with the screaming child, were shielding their children behind one of the shelves from the action. The girl with the hearted backpack had her phone out with tears in her eyes, probably texting her loved ones too.

Virgil’s sense of time wobbled.

He remembered a rush of fast air. He remembered a familiar voice. He knew that voice. Virgil tried to push himself off the shelf, but he slumped back down. No, Patton couldn’t be here. He’d get hurt. Virgil couldn’t let Patton get hurt twice because of him.

Things started exploding. Someone drug him backward and behind the counter. He recognized the woman he paid for. She kept asking him what his name was. What a silly question. If only he could remember his name. She kept telling him to stay with her. How the heck was he supposed to leave if he couldn’t stand up?

The whole right wall exploded. Bits of drywall fell all around them as the ceiling cracked. Items caught on fire.

A blue blur passed by Virgil. It zipped back and forth multiple times. The woman cradled Virgil’s head close to her chest. This wasn’t his mom, so why was she hugging him? He tried to push her off, but she held tight.

“Ma’am, please let him go. I’m getting you out,” Patton’s voice spoke.

Virgil looked up and squinted. That wasn’t Patton. That was that superhero he heard on the news. What was their name again? Presentation or something with a P. 

“Him first,” she said.

Gravity reversed. Before Virgil could blink, he was outside. The pavement scratched his palms. He tried to sit up and focus on Wei Market, but everything still doubled.

The whole building groaned and collapsed. Several people screamed, sounding like a chorus of yelling cats. Sirens joined in. 

More people he didn’t recognize started talking to him. He tried to tell them to leave him alone because his headache kept getting worse, but they didn’t listen.

“Virgil,” Patton’s voice made him jump, “Hey, it’s going to be okay.”

Virgil squinted at the superhero again. How were they imitating Patton’s voice? The superhero kept trying to touch him, and Virgil kept pushing them away.

Paramedics took him next. They put something around his neck to keep his head stationary and carried him into the back of an ambulance. Flashlights shined in both his eyes. He kept asking what was going on and where he was going, but he never remembered the answer. 

All he knew was he was so tired.

He must’ve fallen asleep because the next thing he remembered was someone waking him up and doing the whole asking game all over again. Why did they keep flashing that light in his eyes? Didn’t they know that hurt?

The next time he woke up, doctors stood over him. They went through the same motions as everyone else who touched him. At least this time he could remember his name. Forget everything else though. They gave Virgil a glass of water, which he was thankful for, and let him go back to sleep.

The next time he woke up, a nurse stood over him in his hospital bed. She repeated the questions, which Virgil answered, and Virgil asked if she could skip the light test. She couldn’t, but she was at least nice about it.

The next time he woke up, another nurse came in to ask if he had to use the bathroom. He declined, and she left him alone.

The next time he woke up, he stayed awake long enough to watch some television. He started by flipping through channels. What did he watch when he didn’t watch much at home? A lot of soap operas passed by. He stopped at some sort of talk show that was discussing Wei Market. The date was… six days after the incident. But that couldn’t be right. Virgil was only asleep for a day.

Right?

_“And no one was killed?” the man on the show asked._

_“No,” the woman, who Virgil instantly recognized as the woman who couldn’t afford her order, said on the screen._

Virgil blinked a few times. Apparently, her name was Dot. The man who was with her sat beside her, and the name Larry connected with him. Huh, Dot and Larry. He’d have to remember that when he went to therapy.

_“That was a miracle in itself,” Larry said._

_The host shifted in his chair, “I’ll say it is. A superhuman shows up and starts blowing up the building, which is completely ruined might I add now-”_ Virgil flinched at that-_ “and no one was killed? Sounds like an inside job to me.”_

_Larry’s eyebrows rose to his head. “You think someone planned this?”_

_“I’m just saying, it seems like an awfully big coincidence that these so called superheroes keep showing up just at the right time. I mean, it does have to feel suspicious to you, doesn’t it?”_

_“Of course not!” Dot answered. “I don’t think any of the new supers would plan anything like that!”_

_“But the villain got away. Not even the police could find him. How do you explain that? You’re telling me Palpitation wasn’t fast enough to stop him?”_

_Larry objected, “Palpitation was too busy taking care of people who were hurt, and he seemed awful upset that people got hurt to begin with. He wouldn’t leave this one boy’s side-”_

_“Mr. Levi, I’m sure that you’re still starstruck from being saved, but I’m telling you that the rest of the world isn’t fooled. We’re not going to buy into this vigilante garbage.”_

_“Yeah, well,” Larry stammered, “maybe I want to have hope.”_

_“Hope? Well, I hope for your sake that the mastermind behind Wei Market is found soon before he tries to take his revenge on you all.”_

Virgil turned off the television. He snuffed and shook his head. Of course the deviants were all in cahoots. Why wouldn’t they be? It was just a bunch of smoke and mirrors to distract people about the good going on in the world while the government made people feel hopeless.

Virgil rolled over and closed his eyes. His thoughts kept swimming in his mind like sharks. Superheroes saving the day like in the comic books? 

Fat chance.

The next time he woke up, it was darker outside than before. Virgil squinted in the low light, and he groaned. Someone snored next to him. Great, first all this, and now he had to share a room with someone.

Virgil turned his head and sucked in a sharp breath. He had to be dreaming.

Patton was asleep on the chair next to him.

Virgil tried to call out to him, but his voice came out like nails on a chalkboard. Hurt just as much too. He cleared his throat and tried again with the same results. Patton didn’t stir. Virgil started crying. He didn’t know why he was crying, but here he was in full hysterics because he couldn’t freaking talk like he had never blown out his voice before.

His sniffling must’ve woke Patton because those soft eyelashes fluttered open and Patton froze.

“Virgil,” he whispered, his own eyes tearing up. “You’re awake.”

“Yeah, so, go back to sleep,” Virgil grumbled and pressed his palms to his eyes.

Patton sat up straight and crossed his legs on his chair. He took a deep breath in and waited for Virgil to compose himself. Virgil hid his head under his pillow.

“How are you feeling?” Patton asked.

Virgil snuffed. “Like shit.”

Patton flinched but didn’t correct Virgil. He did ask how Virgil was feeling, curse words included as respectable answers. Besides, with everything Virgil went through in the past 48 hours, he had every right to feel like that.

“I’m sorry,” Patton mumbled.

Virgil’s dark laugh muffled into the pillow. “For what?”

“For hurting you.”

“Unless you put me into this hospital-”

“No, I mean for lying.”

Virgil paused and slowly brought the pillow from his head. He propped himself on his elbows, noticing his head didn’t nearly hurt as much as before, and squinted.

“Lying about what?” Virgil’s words came out warily, like he didn’t want to know the answer.

Patton took a deep breath. He squeezed his hands together and looked away. The conversation he had with Roman passed through his mind. Roman was right. If Virgil was worth keeping around, he’d accept Patton. However, that didn’t mean Patton was any less afraid to tell him.

“Pat, just tell me. You know you can tell me anything. We’re…we still are best friends, aren’t we? I know we said we weren’t, but I mean.. I didn’t really mean it. I was just mad and stupid and you know I say stupid things when I’m mad.”

Patton gave a wet laugh and nodded his head. He swallowed thickly and took a calming breath in and out.

“Virgil, I have powers.” He squeezed his eyes shut. He put his feet on his chair and hugged his legs into his chest.

Virgil could only stare. Patton was… one of them. Patton, the person Virgil trusted more than anyone, was a deviant. But… but that couldn’t be true. Patton was kind and caring. Patton was always putting others first, and yeah, maybe they hit a roadblock the other day, but Patton still came back, even after the nasty things Virgil said. 

This had to be a dream. Virgil would wake up and realize it was all a lie. It’s only because that Palpitation sounded like Patton. That’s why he was having this delusion.

But a part of Virgil’s head told him this was all real, and there was a very scared Patton ready to burst into tears in front of him. And why wouldn’t he? After all the nasty things Virgil said about deviants, of course Patton would be afraid. He knew if he told Virgil that, he’d lose his best friend, and the worst part was Virgil knew he’d consider it.

He was no better than his father. 

Virgil swallowed the lump back in his throat. Patton was still waiting, probably for Virgil to reject him or start saying nasty things. Part of Virgil’s heart cracked seeing Patton so vulnerable, and it was his fault. He really didn’t deserve Patton as a friend, did he?

Virgil finally settled on something to say, took a deep breath, and whispered, “Um… okay?”

Patton snapped his eyes open. He stared at Virgil’s wary eyes- not hateful eyes- and chewed his lip.

“I-” Patton sighed- “I have had super speed since I was about 2 years old. Maybe older. My mom never told me when, just told me I was a pain to raise. But I’ve been going out and being a superhero the past few months, you know, just a little bit after college ended. I… I saw some nasty things happen on campus, and I wanted to change all that. So Lo- so low that I just couldn’t stand by and watch it happen. So I did something about it.”

A stillness settled in the room. Virgil’s heart monitor recorded his calm reaction to everything, even if he was struggling to believe what he heard.

“So that’s why- the bruises and the staying out late and the-”

“Yes. Yes, that’s what’s been going on. And I didn’t tell you because… well because I didn’t want to stop being your friend, and I didn’t want you to get hurt because you’re close to me, so I just, didn’t tell you, and all that happened anyway and I’m stupid, so-”

“Pat, you’re not stupid.”

“Thanks, but I should’ve been honest. I’m always telling other people to be honest, but I lied to you ever since I met you.”

Patton continued to take calming breaths, just like Virgil taught him. He put his forehead on his knees and exhaled one last time. The heart monitor kept the silence’s pace. For a while, the silence swallowed up Patton. It constricted his lungs and choked the breath out of him. He took short breaths in and out to try and relieve the pressure.

“You know, I’m just glad you’re not mixed in with The Red Lions.”

Patton’s head popped up. “You thought… that I was… why?”

Virgil shrugged. “I don’t know. I don’t know what you told them to get me out of there because you won’t tell me, but I thought they were hurting you because of me.”

“No, Virgil, I told you they’re taken care of.”

Virgil squinted. “You know, come to think of it, you’ve kept a lot of stuff hidden from me. I know you don’t want me worrying about you, but-”

“Yeah, I know. I have to get better on relying on others.”

“I know why you wouldn’t rely on me, but you rely on Logan.”

Patton lightly laughed. “I haven’t even let myself rely on Logan lately.”

“You know you don’t have to go through life alone, Patton. It’s okay to ask for help.”

“I know but I just… I’m afraid. I don’t want to lose anyone because I'm… you know.“

Another pause stilled the room. Virgil fiddled with his fingers. Everything was his fault after all. Patton wasn’t trusting anyone because he was afraid they’d hate him for what he was. How many times did he hear Virgil say nasty things about deviants that made him so afraid? Maybe it was time to try and change his attitude. After all, the last thing he wanted to do was to lose Patton, and if that meant opening his mind, he’d do it. He wouldn’t make Roman’s mistake.

“So… a superhero huh?”

“Yeah. I’m… well, I’m Palpitation.”

“Hah, really?”

“Yeah.”

“I knew that brown hair looked familiar. I just thought someone had the same hairstyle as you.”

“Really?”

“Yeah.” Virgil paused. “Wait, that means that was you at Wei Market.”

Patton nodded. “I got your text, and I ran as fast as I could.”

“How fast can you run?”

“I haven’t fully tested it, but I can race jets in the sky.”

Virgil made a mental note to look up how fast jet planes fly. He ran a hand through his hair and sighed through his nose.

“So, you thought I’d stop being your friend because you’re a dev-”

“Please. Please, don’t call me that.”

Virgil hesitated. “Is it a bad word?”

“No. It’s kinda common to call powered people that word, but… but my mom used it against me so much that I kinda feel sick when people call me it, so-”

“God, Pat, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean-”

“It’s fine, Virgil. You didn’t know.”

"There’s a lot of stuff I don’t know, huh? While we’re having a moment, anything else you want to get off your mind?”

Patton tapped his chin. His familiar smile graced his face, and he answered, “The Black Cauldron was just okay.”

“Oh, ouch,” Virgil said in a flat sarcastic tone as he put a hand to his chest. “That’s it. We can’t be friends anymore. You did it now.”

“Aww, darn. Guess you’ll never have a friend like me.”

Virgil hesitated. He rubbed the back of his neck as he spoke, “So, about the thing I did the other day-" 

A knock sounded on the door frame, and Patton turned. A nurse stood in the doorway and cleared their throat.

“I’m sorry, but visiting hours are ending, so I’m going to have to ask you to leave.”

“It’s fine,” Patton said with a gentle smile. He stood up.

“Please tell me you have a place to stay, ” Virgil hurried to say. 

“Hmm? Oh, yeah, I’ve been crashing at Logan’s house for the past week.”

“Good. So… when I get out, we can go back home together, right?”

Patton blinked. He watched a gentle smile spread on Virgil’s lips, and Patton’s heart pounded in his chest. He let out a choked giggle and nodded his head.

“Yeah. I… I’d like that.”

Patton said a quick goodbye, and Virgil flashed a thumbs up. He watched Patton turn the corner and slumped into his pillow.

All this trouble because Patton could run fast. 

Virgil rolled over on his side. Thankfully the double vision disappeared and he could think more clearly, but he almost wished he couldn’t. What would happen now that Wei Market was gone? Was Mrs. Wei okay? Did everyone make it out safe? What happened to the exploding robber? Would he come back and kill Virgil after all this? Would he go after Patton? 

Too many negative questions. Not enough answers.

Virgil decided to sleep instead.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After Logan and Patton's argument, Logan needs to get some fresh air to clear his head. Good thing he did. He loved learning new things, and this was the best thing he learned all month.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Warnings: arguing, passive-aggressive behavior, self-deprecation, house fire mention, hostage survival story, food mentions  
Word Count: 5481

In all the years Roman knew Logan, he never saw him more upset than he was right now with Patton.

Since Patton had accepted the private mission from this Deceit person a week ago, he and Logan had been fighting more and more. It finally came to a head today when the two of them were locked into a safe together after fighting a telepathic deviant at the bank. The deviant got away with thousands, and Patton and Logan had to try and clear their name the whole day.

Roman currently sat between the two cousins on the couch. Both Patton and Logan pretended each other didn’t exist right now and used Roman as a barrier. For the past hour, Roman tried to be the buffer between them. He never saw the two so upset with each other before. Roman scrolled through his phone and sighed through his nose. His eye caught a news article from today.

“Well, it looks like there’s already a Facebook page to help out the people affected by today’s robbery,” Roman informed.

“That’s nice,” Patton mumbled.

“The best news I’ve heard all day,” Logan responded.

Roman blew heavily through his lips and shook his head. He checked the time. He didn’t know how stubborn Patton was when it came to grudges, but he knew first hand that Logan would take a grudge to the grave if he wanted to.

“Okay,” Roman grumbled and got up from the couch, “I’m done being the door. Both of you stop giving each other the cold shoulder and let it go before the whole apartment gets frozen over.”

The two cousins watched Roman leave and enter his room. Roman slammed the door shut a little harder than necessary, but hopefully, it’d get his point across. Patton’s muffled “okay bye” should’ve put a smile on his face, but he sighed and ignored the comment. Roman flopped on his bed and scrolled through the text messages on his phone. A message from one of the other journalists caught his eye.

_“Bet you can’t get an interview in a week.”_

Roman snuffed. He sent back a reply.

_”I bet I can get an interview by tomorrow.”_

There was a pause before a message appeared again.

_”I bet $100 you can’t.”_

_”I’m friends with them, so I’d get that money ready if I were you.”_

_”Well, well, look at you, Peter Parker. I look forward to seeing you fail.”_

He deleted the message with a growl. He’d show them. He’d have an interview from Palpitation and Intuition- well at least Palpitation- by tomorrow. They’d regret doubting him and turning him into some sort of joke.

Roman pressed his palms against his eyes. He took a deep breath in and out. So far, Roman was absolutely horrible at this journalism stuff. He didn’t want to bother anyone from the bank because they went through enough. He couldn’t imagine being in their position and how terrified everyone must’ve been. Plus, it felt a little heartless.

_Hello, yes, you just recently had trauma? I’d like to interview you and exploit your feelings to further my career._

He forgot why he gave up Journalism after high school.

While it was true Roman Caballero was well known for knowing every bit of drama in the school and sharing it freely, the now experienced adult wouldn’t dream of doing anything like that. Not after what happened senior year. Roman felt hot tears rise to his eyes, and he wiped his tears away before they ruined his mascara.

Ten years, and he was still crying over it.

He didn’t have the right to still be upset. He wasn’t the victim. He deserved everything that got handed to him that day.

However, it didn’t stop the memory of losing his best friend from hurting any less.

–

Logan tapped his finger on the couch chair as he stared at the wall. He heard Patton shift beside him. Logan glanced down at his watch. In ten minutes time, he’d return to his room and leave Patton alone on the couch. Why was he still here? He had nothing to gain from sitting on the other end of the couch while he felt Patton’s anger crack into guilt. However, he couldn’t force himself to move either.

Patton could also move whenever he wanted. However, he could be just as stubborn as Logan when it came to admitting he was wrong.

The two of them created a cold war on the couch for the past seven days. And no, that wasn’t a reference to Roman’s joke.

Patton allowed his head to fall back on the couch. He blinked rapidly and took in two deep breaths.

Logan folded one leg over the other.

The clock from the kitchen ticked in time with Patton’s breaths.

Logan sighed. He checked his watch again.

Patton’s eyes closed, and he swallowed hard.

Logan stole a glance over at his cousin. Just a glance to see his state. He then returned his gaze back to the wall. As long as Patton wasn’t crying-

"I told him,” Patton whispered, “about me.”

Logan snapped his attention to Patton faster than a whip.

“Yes, you told Roman. I was there.”

“No… Virgil… yesterday while he was in the hospital.”

“Ah, I see. And how did that go?”

Patton shrugged. He stared down at the floor. In a soft voice, he spoke, “He didn’t care.”

“About you?”

“About it.”

“Ah.”

Logan went back to tapping his fingers on the couch. He put his cheek back in his hand and leaned in on his elbow. He could’ve said “I told you so. I was right,” but something deep within him told him it wasn’t the time.

Patton’s head rose from the back of the couch, and he leaned in on his elbows. He glanced over at Logan and then back down to the floor. A sigh escaped his nose as he rubbed his neck.

“I know you’re mad-”

“Mad does not even begin to describe the feeling.”

“-but I didn’t have time to come get you. If I did, that deviant would’ve-”

"Just like when you had the choice to see Deceit the other night.”

Patton blinked. “That was different. Remy said-”

“And you trust a complete stranger over asking me if I wanted to come.”

“Remy and Deceit aren’t strangers, Logan. I mean, sure, maybe we don’t know everything about them, but _they_ trust me. Remy told me a lot about his life that night and how horrible his life was, and Deceit is powered like us! They can change into anyone they want. They even let me know where the mansion was because Virgil was in trouble and I needed to help him. They’re only trying to help people.”

“Are they? I’m sorry, Patton, but I’m afraid this is all a ruse to get between the two of us.”

“What?”

“Why else would they summon you and not me?”

“Because they said your powers weren’t-” Patton paused and he looked down at his shoe. Logan rose a brow.

“They weren’t what, Patton?”

“They weren’t needed.”

Logan grew quiet. Patton chewed on his lip. He glanced over at Logan to try and read his expression, but Logan’s face was unreadable. Logan did, however, swallow rather hard and blink several times.

“Not needed?”

“No,” Patton said carefully. “We had the information we needed. We just needed to help people.”

“And you’re saying I cannot help people?”

“No! I didn’t say that-”

“Then why else would you not object? Why wouldn’t you insist I go with? We’re a team, Patton.“

"Don’t you think I told them that?”

“I have no doubt you did. Your moral compass is strong. However, saying something and doing it are two different types of betrayal.”

“I didn’t betray you, Logan! Those people needed me.”

“I’m not upset that you’re saving people, Patton.”

“Then what are you upset about?”

“That you’re acting without thinking about the consequences. We know nothing about what we’re up against, and you’re trusting anyone who needs your help. Your emotions are clouding your judgment. You’re going to get yourself killed, or worse, someone is going to end up getting hurt because of your blind stupidity, most likely me.”

Patton scowled, “You know, didn’t have to follow me to the bank.”

“And what if I didn’t? What if they did manage to hurt you, or worse? You told me when I agreed to do this with you that we’d work as a team, that you wouldn’t do this alone. That’s the only reason I agreed, and if you continue to act recklessly, I’m going to have to put a stop to all this, whether you want to or not.”

Patton opened his mouth to speak, but his voice caught in his throat. Angry tears rolled down his cheek and he clenched his jaw. He jumped to his feet and balled his hands into fists.

Logan stared at Patton which such a cold judgemental expression that Patton couldn’t contain his frustration.

“You sound like my mom! Always telling me what I can and can’t do.” He imitated his mother’s voice, “Don’t use your powers, Patton. People will call you a freak. Don’t leave without me, Patton. You won’t survive a day on your own. Don’t think you’re worth anything, Patton. You can’t do anything right, Patton. You can’t be trusted, Patton. Stupid, naive, Patton. You can’t- you can’t-” Patton hiccuped. “You can’t be a human being for once in your life, can you? I had to be cursed with a deviant child.”

Logan’s cold expression melted into horror. He watched Patton break down into tears and squeeze his palms against his eyes.

“Patton,” he whispered.

“I’m so sick of being treated like someone who’s going to break! I’m strong! I can handle myself! I can make my own choices. I’m not some innocent child who needs to be protected all the time. I’ve proven I can handle myself, so why… why don’t you trust me?”

Logan opened his mouth and closed it several times. He took his glasses off and rubbed his eyes.

“Patton, that was never my intention.”

Patton sniffed and rubbed his arms. “I’m sorry. It wasn’t fair that I said you were like my mom, but I just…”

Logan sighed and thought over his words carefully. “I have been so used to being the only person who truly cared about your well being that I didn’t realize I was treating you like a child. I still recall your six year old self crying in my bedroom because of the horrible things your mother told you, and I haven’t allowed you to grow from that point.”

Logan stood up, and Patton stared down at the ground. Patton continued to squeeze his arms. Logan studied Patton’s body language and opened his arms to initiate a hug. Patton glanced up and choked out a sob before crashing into Logan’s chest. He allowed all his pent up tears to fall over Logan’s shoulder. Logan rubbed circles on Patton’s back and breathed deeply for both of them. He’d have to sanitize his shirt after this, but making Patton feel better was the top priority.

He didn’t mean to make Patton doubt himself. He just didn’t want to feel… left out. Like he was being left behind. That he didn’t have a purpose any longer. He didn’t mean to make Patton feel like he couldn’t handle himself, but he did. And in the end, it was his fault Patton was pushing him away. He should’ve known-

“I’m sorry,” Patton mumbled.

“There’s nothing to be sorry for, Patton.”

“But-”

“The way you feel is just as important to me as your safety, even if I don’t always understand what you’re feeling. I’ll do my best to trust your judgment from now on.”

Patton released a shuddering breath. He allowed Logan to support him and enjoyed the apology Logan so rarely gave.

Logan looked over Patton’s shoulder. He caught Roman peeking out of his door, enjoying the soft moment between the two. Logan rose a brow, and Roman shook his head with a smile. Roman shut his door and left them alone.

What was that all about?

“Hey, Logan?”

“Hmm?”

“I’m kinda tired. I haven’t gotten much sleep lately.”

“Of course. Go get some rest. We’ll talk more when you wake.”

“Kay.”

Logan waited until Patton let him go. Patton sent him a soft smile, and Logan offered a small one back. Logan watched Patton walk back to his bedroom and close the door with a gentle click.

With a long sigh, Logan collapsed onto the couch. He folded his head between his knees and rested his hands on the back of his neck.

Patton fought another deviant. Another deviant attacked the city. There were powered people out there that could harm them. Perhaps it was personal ignorance falling away, but Logan couldn’t recall another deviant causing danger before Patton and he started their hero work, and now… now three of them in one week.

Sure, deviant people were known outside of the powered community, but few rarely attacked others. Surely the other deviants’ actions were going to harm the community in a way even Patton and he couldn’t stop.

Fear of the unknown made people do horrible things.

Logan rubbed his hands down his cheeks as he sat up straight. He didn’t want to turn on the news. He didn’t want to hear what people were saying about the incident, what people were saying about powered people, what people were saying about Patton. He wanted to live in blissful ignorance that people would not turn on them, that they would be understanding, that they would see this as a freak incident that wouldn’t happen again.

For once, Logan wanted to have the blind optimism Patton was gifted with.

Logan laid down on the couch and propped his feet up on the pillow on the other end. He closed his eyes, but no sleep came. His mind couldn’t rest.

–

After a week of sleeping on the couch, Logan’s back ached like he slept on rocks. Logan sat up, his back popping like cereal in milk, and groaned. Since it was already five in the morning, he gave up trying to sleep and made himself a cup of tea. Part of him contemplated calling off work, but the other half of him knew he’d missed too much already, and it would start to look suspicious. Attention on his health was the last thing Logan needed right now.

Since the incident at Wei Market, Logan was two close calls losing Patton, two more than Logan wanted. Though, he had to admit, knowing Roman wouldn’t skew the events when he covered them put some relief back in his aching bones. Fewer and fewer articles were painting him and Patton as the heroes, especially since the bank robber got away after locking both him and Patton in the safe.

He’d never fought a telepath before, and he hoped he never did again. He didn’t like someone else being smarter than him for once. After all, what was Logan without his intelligence? It’s what got him through life this far. Without it, he and his mother would’ve been on the streets years ago.

Logan rubbed the headache pounding on his brow. Perhaps he needed to go for a walk. A walk to clear his head did sound rather nice right now.

Logan, after deciding to change into proper clothing when he returned since he slept in his clothes last night (Patton had already gone to sleep and he didn’t want to disturb him), put a note on the coffee pot that he went for a walk and would return soon. He put on his shoes, checked his pocket for his house key, and exited the apartment.

The sun had not yet risen, but the peak of its rays over the horizon lit everything into a silhouette. The birds spread their wings and gossiped about the morning news. A few cars started their morning commute, their drivers sipping coffee and chatting to those they traveled with. Dew clung to the air. The humidity was so thick everyone could taste it.

Sweat rose to Logan’s brow already. He wiped it away with the back of his hand and sighed. Hopefully, the library would be cooler.

The morning joggers dominated the park space for the time being. Logan allowed them to pass as he walked down the twisted pathway around the park. His mind still raced with the problems at hand. What was Deceit’s end goal? How did they expect to handle deviants that meant to do harm to others? Why was he not included in the mission last night and what was it about?

Logan sat down on one of the dry benches. He folded his fingers together and rested his elbows on his knees. People passed like his thoughts. Logan allowed his eyes to slip closed, the sting from lack of sleep disappearing with his sight.

Logan’s chest ached. He cursed his memory and wondered how long he stayed in it this time. Surely he’d never hear the end of it if Patton found out.

“Hey, you okay?” a voice spoke to his left.

Logan blinked his eyes open. He looked up at a girl wearing a purple hearted backpack and hair lazily pulled into a bun, or perhaps it was a bun before the morning run, as sweat lined her brow and glistened in the now rising sunlight.

“Oh, yes, I’m fine,” he responded. It wasn’t a total lie, but this wasn’t a topic to discuss with a stranger.

“Oh, okay. Hey, I have some water in my bag if you’re feeling light headed.”

“No, I assure you, I’m okay.”

The girl waited for a moment then sighed. She said, “Sorry, I’m just used to first time joggers passing out from the heat, and I wanted to make sure you were okay.”

Logan quirked the tip of his lips into a gentle smile. He nodded his head. “That’s very noble of you.”

The girl shifted her weight from one foot to the other. “Hey, can I sit beside you? I need a break myself.”

“Go right ahead.”

“Thanks,” she said as she plopped onto the bench. Her backpack slid off her shoulders, and she placed it on the ground beside the bench. She spread her legs wide and draped her arms across the back, careful not to touch Logan. The latter slid over a bit to give her space.

For a moment, they shared some silence together.

“So, what made you want to pick up jogging?”

“I’m afraid you’re misinterpreting my intentions. I am merely taking a morning walk.”

“Oh! That’s a good way to stay healthy too. Fifteen minute walks in the morning are a great way to jumpstart metabolism and keep the body fit.”

“You seem rather knowledgeable about people’s health.”

“I’d hope so. I’m a doctor.”

“I’d hope so as well.”

“What about you?”

“I’m… just a librarian.”

“Just a librarian? I haven’t known anyone who was just a librarian.” Logan’s heart jumped at those words until she continued, “Every librarian I know is a badass. I mean, I haven’t met one I don’t like. They’re so helpful and knowledgeable in like everything. It’s kinda cool.”

The thought of being called cool brought a genuine smile to Logan’s lips. He took a deep breath in and exhaled his excitement away.

“That’s rather nice of you to say.”

“Just being honest.”

Another comfortable silence settled between the two. Logan watched the girl with curiosity out of the corner of his eye. She seemed perfectly content staring up at the clouds as they passed. Her attention didn’t turn to Logan as she spoke either, as if giving him privacy while having a conversation. Logan decided to return the favor.

“If I may ask, what brings you out to the park. I’m sure it’s more than caring for passed out joggers.”

“Well, yes and no. I mean, part of that is why I do this. The other part is I don’t get to do it often enough. Hours can get crazy.”

“I’m sure. Doctors are one of the strongest building blocks of society. They truly do not get the recognition they deserve, since humanity tends to generalize their judgment on ill encounters they had or only heard about.”

Her fingers curled up, and Logan watched her posture tense. He tried to keep his curiosity in check. “I mean, we’re not the only ones. Did you happen to hear about what happened at Wei Market the other week?”

Logan’s anger caught in his throat, but he swallowed it back down. “I may have heard a few details.”

“I was… kinda there.”

“Are you alright?”

“Yeah. I don’t know if I would’ve been if… you know… that superhero didn’t show up.”

“Palpitation?”

“Yeah, him. A lot of people would be hurt if he didn’t show up.”

“It’s a good thing he was around then.”

A smile spread across her lips, and Logan exhaled a harsh breath. He cursed himself for letting his personal feelings get in the way of what Patton did. Patton _saved_ people. Patton was selfless enough to put his life on the line for the well being of other people. And Logan was upset because he wasn’t included. How selfish could he get?

“I guess so,” she said. Her eyes glanced down at the ground.

Logan studied her for a moment. “Forgive me for asking something personal, but you don’t exactly seem thrilled by it.”

“Well, if you nearly died, would you be happy about it?”

“No, I suppose not.”

“It’s not that I’m upset that I was saved or anything, but… it kinda triggered something in me. Well, something I read did anyway.”

“About what?”

“About what people were saying about… well, you know… people with gifts. Like you said, people stereotype. Even if someone does something good, they only see the bad.”

Logan swallowed hard. He was afraid of this. A sigh exhaled through his nose.

“I’m assuming they said some rather malicious things about Palpitation?”

“About all powered people. I mean, I may have only met two, but they never hurt me. If anything, I’ve been hurt more by people without powers than with powers.” She rubbed her arms. “It sounded like that powered person who attacked the market was hurt too and was at a low point. I can’t say what he did was right, but I… I can’t help but wonder what made him like that.”

“Society, most likely. Powered people aren’t exactly treated with care.”

“I know.” She brushed her tears away with her fingertips.

“If this topic upsets you, we can move to another-”

“No, it’s fine. I just, I’m thinking of someone.”

“Someone rather close to you, I’m assuming.”

“He was. He was… well, he was my best friend.”

“I’m sorry for your loss.”

“It’s not recent. It happened almost fifteen years ago when I was only ten. I don’t remember much of him, but I do remember he was the only thing I had.”

“I’m assuming he was some sort of family member?”

“My brother, yeah. He was older than me, but he was always making sure I was taken care of. My bio mom was always sick, so we had it really rough. And my bio dad- he was one of the worst people I’ve ever met in my life.”

Logan noted all the “was” in that explanation and wondered just how much loss this poor girl suffered.

She sighed and lightly laughed before continuing, “Sorry, you didn’t ask for a life story. And here I am, spilling my life biography to a complete stranger.”

“I don’t mind. I like learning about new people.”

She looked over at him, a genuine smile gracing her lips, and held out her hand. “My name’s Raven.”

Logan noted the ring on her finger and smiled. He checked to make sure he was still wearing gloves out of habit and took her hand. “A pleasure to meet you, Raven. My name is Logan.”

“Well, hi, Logan. It’s nice to meet you.”

The two eased into a comfortable silence once again, and Logan checked his watch. If he wanted to get home in time for work, he’d have to leave within the next five minutes.

Raven reached into her bag and pulled out her wallet. Logan studied her with curiosity as she flipped through a few pockets with various pictures of people on them. She stopped at one with a boy who looked to be posing for a school picture, judging by the forced smile and plain gray background.

“That’s him, by the way,” she explained. “My brother.”

Logan observed the spiked blonde frosted hair and brown eyes. One of them almost looked gold.

“I see.”

“I think he was 16 when that picture was taken? Maybe 15. It’s the last picture I have of him.”

“How unfortunate.”

“I could never tell how old he was. He could change his appearance, so sometimes he would look way older than he was or way younger.”

Logan’s eyes widened, and she slapped a hand over her mouth.

She soon continued, “Oh, I’m sorry! I didn’t mean- well I mean, he’s gone, so I guess it’s not exactly outing him. But still, I… no one besides my family ever knew that.”

“It’s quite alright. If I may ask, what was your brother’s name?”

“It was Evan. At least that stayed the same about him.”

Logan recalled the fire the other day. What were the odds? He started making connections, not really knowing if he connected anything, and checked his watch.

“I’m sorry to chat and run, but I am late for work.”

“Oh, no, of course! My wife is probably wondering why I’m not home yet either. It was nice talking to you.”

“And you as well.” Logan gave a curt nod, and he started walking back to his apartment.

The child he rescued the other day was named Evan. The day of the incident, he and Patton were notified by someone who could change their appearance at will before any credible news sources could speak about the incident.

There had to be a connection.

Logan stopped in his tracks and pulled out his phone. He studied the last message that Deceit sent him, the one giving him their number, and swallowed hard. If he was right-

Logan began to text. He studied the message for any errors and hit send. As the message appeared on the screen, Logan reread his message.

_Deceit, I do believe a conversation is in order. If I am truly to trust you, I need to understand who I’m working for. Perhaps there could be a time we can meet after the library closes. I have come across some interesting information that I’m sure you will want to discover._

Logan pocketed his phone. He didn’t make it far before his phone vibrated in his pocket. Logan stopped again and read the response.

_Deceit: I was wondering when I would get a message from you. What would you like to discuss?_

Logan thought for a moment. He swallowed hard and sent his message.

_Logan: Let’s start with the fact that your true name is Evan._

Logan waited a moment for a response to see if it would come as quickly as the first. He held his phone this time and continued back to his apartment. Part of him wondered if his theory was incorrect. It was totally possible for more than one person to have the same ability, since not many studies have been done on people with similar powers yet.

When Logan reached his apartment door, his phone vibrated again. Logan quickly unlocked it and read the message.

_Deceit: It appears we do have something to talk about. I will send Remy to pick you up later tonight at your home around 10 pm. Leave Patton at home with Virgil. Don’t be late._

For a moment, Logan stared at his phone. His theories were correct. This Evan that Raven spoke of and Deceit were the same person. The question was, why had Deceit faked their death, and what were they truly up to?

Wait, why did Deceit not want Patton to know about the information? Surely Patton would be able to sympathize better than Logan when it came to tragic backstories. And how did Deceit know Patton would be home with Virgil, who was leaving the hospital today? Worse yet, how did Deceit know about Virgil?

So many questions, not enough answers.

Logan pocketed his phone again and opened the door. The smell of fresh pancakes stole his breath, and he cleared his watering mouth.

“Good morning, Patton,” Logan said as he closed the door.

Patton turned and smiled. “Oh, good morning, Logan! Where were you this morning?”

“Out,” was all Logan responded with.

“Oh, okay,” Patton answered and went back to his cooking.

Logan sat down at the table. He cursed himself. Patton wanted to be trusted more, and here he was keeping secrets. Should he tell Patton against Deceit’s wishes? What would Deceit do if Patton was at the house when Remy came to pick Logan up?

Logan hated not having answers.

“Patton,” Logan started.

Patton turned to him, a half smile on his face and spatula flinging uncooked pancake batter across the room. “Yeah, Lo?”

Logan’s mouth and Roman’s door opened at the same time. The bang of wood against the wall made Logan jump.

“Patton!” Roman cried out. He raced across the room and grabbed onto Patton’s shoulders. “Thank goodness you haven’t gone home yet. I need your help!”

“What is it?” Patton asked, his smile forced as much as his cheerful voice.

“I need an interview with Palpitation about the bank robbery done by tonight.”

“T-tonight?” Patton squeaked, “but Roman, you can’t-”

“I know, I know! I may have shot my mouth off and-” Roman ran a hand through his hair and chuckled grimly, “I may have bragged that I knew you personally.”

“Roman!” Patton and Logan both snapped.

“Do you know how dangerous that is?” Logan asked. “Not just for you, but for Patton as well?”

“I know!” Roman replied. He grabbed his hair into his fists. “I just got so mad and I wasn’t thinking and- you know I do stupid stuff when I’m mad, Logan.”

“Don’t I ever.” Logan rolled his eyes.

“If someone finds out that you know me, they could hurt you,” Patton replied. He played with the edge of his shirt and chewed on his lip. “I don’t want you to get hurt. That’s why I didn’t tell anyone about me in the first place.”

“I won’t say I know you in the interview. It can be our little secret,” Roman reassured.

“I don’t know,” Patton mumbled.

“Patton, my reputation is on the line. Please? I promise I’ll be careful from now on. I won’t tell another soul as long as I live.”

Patton glanced over Roman’s shoulder and caught Logan’s eye. Logan shook his head no. Patton sighed and closed his eyes.

“I guess I could do a quick one before the library opens.”

Logan rubbed his hands over his eyes.

“Perfect! Thank you so much, Patton. I promise I won’t ever do this again.”

“Don’t make promises you can’t keep,” Logan mumbled.

Roman scowled over his shoulder and took Patton’s hand. “Come on. We can use your super speed to write down answers I have prepared.”

“But the pancakes-” Patton cried out as Roman dragged him into his room. Roman shut the door.

The sound of sizzling pancakes popped and snatched the silence.

Logan turned the stove off. He had half a mind to take Patton away from Roman before Patton gave an answer he’d regret giving. But still, this was Patton’s choice, and if Logan was to truly give him space, this was a good way to do it.

He could help Patton back up after he fell.

Besides, Logan had his own interview to worry about with Deceit later. He could worry about Patton’s safety afterward.

Logan’s chest ached again. He rubbed his fingers over the stiff nylon under his shirt. Going 24 hours was definitely not something he’d do again. It was time to change for work, thankfully, so he could relieve himself of his outfit from yesterday.

Logan walked into his room and took off his clothes. He folded them and put them in the laundry basket beside his bed. His fingers skimmed over his dress shirts as he picked out an outfit of the same exact color. His eyes briefly caught his reflection. A grimace soured his expression. The rattle in his chest wasn’t his asthma, and he cursed his poor life choices.

Perhaps it was best he went the day without hs binder on.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a mandatory rest stop if you're reading the whole way through! Grab a glass of water, stretch, or simply rest your eyes for a minute. You've earned it!


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Logan is kept company while he waits to see Deceit. He ends up learning several things. Tonight's transforming into a more educational night than Logan expected.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Warnings: breaking and entering, possessive behavior, strained relationship mention, threats of being thrown out, implied stalking, victim blaming, implied loss of consciousness, burn scar descriptions  
Word Count: 5132

Logan had never stared so long at the library clock in his life. His finger tap, tap, tapped with the tick, tick, tick of the large clock on the wall. 

Patton buzzed around the library. He had an extra bounce in his step and chattered away more than normal. Obviously, his excitement for meeting Virgil outside of the hospital outmatched doing anything truly productive.

Logan sighed. It must’ve been nice to still be friends with someone you were so close to.

What was he talking about? He and Patton were still friends, even if they were cousins. He and Roman were… tolerating each other, but still on friendly terms, for the most part.

He wasn’t alone. He may feel alone at times, but he wasn’t alone.

Left out sure, but not alone.

Tolerated, but not alone.

Used, but not alone.

Logan shook his head. He turned his attention back to the stingray article he’d tried to digest for the past week, but his mind kept wandering to tonight’s appointment with Deceit. They said Remy would come to his house. Logan shouldn’t be surprised Remy knew where he lived. After all, that’s how Patton was taken the other night.

No, Patton agreed to go. It was Patton’s choice.

Logan closed the book on his desk. He walked over to Patton and cleared his throat. Patton glanced up at him with his famous honey sweet smile.

“Oh, hey Lo!”

“I believe I’m going to call it an early day. I am… not feeling well as of right now.”

Patton nodded. “Yeah, I wondered if you were doing okay. Go ahead home and rest.”

Logan started to walk away, and Patton grabbed onto his hand. Logan froze and turned around, raising an eyebrow.

Patton stared down at the ground, and he swallowed hard.

“Logan, I hope you don’t think I don’t need you, especially after the past two days. You’re still really important to me.”

“I’m aware.”

“Are you?”

Logan hesitated. Patton’s eyes glanced up at him, and Logan felt pressure in his chest uncoil. He drew his lips into a straight line.

“I am. Thank you for the clarification, however.”

Patton’s eyes stared into his soul, and Logan didn’t know if Patton could sense it was only a half truth, but the friction from Patton’s hand sliding off Logan’s wrist sent goosebumps over Logan’s forearm.

“Okay,” Patton replied, his voice unusually quiet. His voice may have sounded real to the average eye, but Logan could still see the guilt swimming behind his eyes.

“And I hope you know as well, Patton, that I hold no ill feelings toward your emotional outburst last night.”

Patton blinked at him. A more real but subtle smile appeared on his face, and he sighed. “Thanks.”

“I shall see you at a later date.” Logan held onto his stiff posture until he exited the library. Only then did he allow his shoulders to relax. His chest tightened once again. He wasn’t lying to Patton. He wasn’t doing the same thing that Patton had done with Virgil. This was different. This was gathering information.

Maybe if he kept repeating that over and over, he’d start to believe it.

–

The walk back to his apartment didn’t exist as far as Logan was concerned. He opened his front door, noticed that the building was rather quiet, and sighed. Of course Roman would still be at his job. He did have a job now.

Soon he’d be leaving Logan alone too, just like before.

Wait, what got into him? Just the other day he was content being alone. Why now did he have the sudden thoughts that everyone was going to abandon him? Was it Roman’s success? Was it Patton being a hero without him? He didn’t even want to be a hero. It just sorta… happened.

Logan placed his keys on the island. He slumped into his chair and rubbed his hands over his face. He had another few hours before Remy would show up. Come to think of it, Deceit never told him a time. Perhaps he should clarify-

A door opened. Logan froze, and he glanced to the front door. Strange, it wasn’t that. So where-

“Well, aren’t you early?”

Logan turned his head towards Roman’s door. It wasn’t, however, Roman who stood there. The curl in Remy’s lips sent shivers down Logan’s spine.

“How did you get in here?”

“Roman let me in,” Remy said. His grin widened, if that was even possible, and heat rose to Logan’s face.

“I’ll have to talk to him about letting people in he doesn’t know.”

“Oh, he knows me.” Remy chuckled.

Logan furrowed his brow. No, that couldn’t be right. Just the other day, Roman had no idea who Remy was. 

“Where is Roman, exactly?”

“Don’t worry about him, babe. He’s fine,” Remy said as he closed the door. He flopped onto the couch and kicked his feet over the arms of the chair.

Warning bells sounded in Logan’s head. He stood up from his spot at the island and raced toward Roman’s room. His eye caught Remy’s, and Remy rolled his eyes. Logan’s hand gripped Roman’s door handle so hard, it was a miracle he didn’t crush it.

“Roman,” Logan called out as he opened the door. He spied Roman laying on his bed, sound asleep. Logan walked in and examined him to make sure he was alright. Besides the light trail of drool on his lips, no harm seemed to come to him. Logan sighed, and he brushed a stray strand of hair out of Roman’s face.

Remy must’ve put Roman to sleep when he opened the front door.

Logan exited the room and closed the door behind him. He caught Remy’s grin, and goosebumps rose on his shoulders once again.

“Why are you here so early? I was sure Deceit said you would come later in the evening.”

“I was bored.”

“And breaking into my apartment is how you pass your time?”

“I told you before, I didn’t break in, m’kay? Roman let me in.”

“Yes, it appears he did, just before you used your abilities to put him to sleep.”

Remy sighed. “Look, babe, if I didn’t, he wasn’t going to let me in, and I really didn’t need that headache right now.”

Multiple warning bells went off in Logan’s head.

“If you’ve hurt him-”

“Relax, Lolo, I didn’t hurt your precious boyfriend.”

“He’s not my boyfriend.”

“Oh, but he was, wasn’t he?” Remy stood up from the couch. His eyes locked onto Logan’s in a way that threatened to intimidate. Logan held his ground. Remy continued, “Once upon a time ago, you two were really good friends, weren’t you? And then you tore his heart out. I heard the story before.”

“I did not! Roman-”

“Is probably the only decent conventional in this world. You should feel lucky.”

“Lucky?”

“He kept your secret, well one of them, anyway. He didn’t turn on you for being a deviant. He didn’t sell you to some person who would use your powers for their own benefit.”

“What-”

“I’m saying, Logan, that Roman is a very special person. You don’t know how good you got it.”

For a moment, Remy and Logan stared at each other. The tension in the air held a thickness that could be cut with a knife. Remy made the first move. He plopped down on the couch and rested his feet on the coffee table. Logan’s eye twitched.

“So, we still have like… two hours before Deceit wants to see you. He’s kinda in a meeting with someone right now, or I would’ve taken you sooner, but eh, business executives, am I right?”

Logan furrowed his brow. He swallowed hard.

Remy whistled and darkly laughed, “Wow, you’re the best conversation holder I’ve ever seen.”

“How do you know Roman? The other day, when Patton left the note, he told me he didn’t know anyone named Remy.”

Remy blinked. He sat up a little straighter, his lips pulled into a tight line.

“Look, I’ve done things I’m not proud of. I mean, everyone has, am I right? But like, when I met Roman, I was at a really low point in my life. Sorta. I mean, I didn’t know what I was doing, I was still kinda hurt about what happened to me, I just wanted to die, but Roman- Roman showed me there might be hope for this world. He doesn’t know it, but he did.”

Logan resisted the urge to ask for Remy’s life story. He instead took a seat across from him in the rocking chair across from the couch.

Remy continued, “I wasn’t Remy back then. I was using the name my parents- well the people who birthed me- gave me. I fuckin hated myself. And then, the night I considered ending it all, I saw this beautiful man at the bar who looked like he was ready to cry. And let me tell you, hun, there’s no greater weakness of mine than seeing pretty men cry. So I talked to him. And every night, we’d meet up in the same place to talk. We became really good friends.”

“If you were such good friends, why has he never talked about you before?”

“I guess the time’s not right,” Remy said with a shrug. “Besides, I thought you two weren’t friends anymore, so you don’t have any right to his private life.” The earlier tension between them returned. Remy’s eyes narrowed, and Logan cleared his throat.

“I can’t forgive what Roman did to me in the past, but I can recognize he has grown from that point. I am trying my best to give him a second chance, with me and in life.”

“Then why are you leading him on?”

Logan clenched his jaw. “I’m not leading him on. I told Roman that I would not ever harbor romantic feelings for him again.”

“But you know he still loves you, right? All he could talk about was how he screwed up the greatest relationship he ever had. He didn’t want to even try with anyone else again. You broke him.”

Logan stilled his beating heart. Getting upset with Remy would help no one, and from the look of Remy’s squared shoulder and narrowed eyes, he was looking to pick a fight.

“Roman and I hurt each other equally. There is no pain that is greater than the other. We both lost someone important to us that day, and we have never been able to recover the flame our relationship once had. As I said, I’m doing my best to forgive him, but there are some scars that cannot be healed with words. Roman has been patient with me. He hasn’t pushed his unrequited feelings on me, and he has given me the space to heal at my own pace.”

Remy rolled his eyes. He sighed through his nose and relaxed a bit.

“I don’t get it. Why invite him to stay in your apartment? Why try to give him any hope that you two can go back to the way things were if they can’t? What’s your deal?”

“My deal? My deal is that Roman was struggling, and even I have enough of a heart to see that. I should’ve felt joy knowing how far he fell from grace, but all I felt was pity. In that moment, I made a choice that led me down the path I’m on now. It has not been easy, and there were moments where Roman and I were too hurt by the damage caused prior, but in my greatest hope, we are moving on the road to recovery. Slow and steady, but moving forward.”

“Poetic.”

Logan sighed through his nose. There was nothing poetic about finding Roman shivering on the street with nothing but a light jacket to shield him from the cold. There was nothing poetic about how Roman and he tiptoed around each other the first month living together. There was nothing poetic about their fights, about how Logan almost threw him out again, how Roman dared him to. There was nothing poetic about the nightmares Logan suffered through from time to time about losing the only person he grew close to in his adolescence a second time.

Remy took his feet off the coffee table. He glanced behind him back at Roman’s room.

“Don’t worry, babe. The moment you throw him out when he screws up again, I’ll be there to pick the pieces back up. You don’t have to keep pretending you like him.”

The hair on Logan’s neck bristled. Remy turned his attention back to Logan, a grin on his face.

“Remy, I do not want you back in this apartment again.”

Remy choked out a laugh. “Um, excuse me?”

“I do not,” Logan repeated slower, “want you back in this apartment again.”

“Why the fuck not? I didn’t do anything to you.”

“I don’t want you near Roman ever again.”

“Sorry, babe, but you’re not his keeper. I can see Roman whenever I want.”

Logan slowly stood to his feet. Remy mirrored the action, even daring to take a step forward. His glasses challenged Logan to a staring contest. Logan’s heart pounded in his chest. His palms began to sweat, and he clenched and unclenched his fists.

“Get out.”

“Make me.”

Through their strained silence, Logan heard Roman moan in his room. Both heads snapped over in Roman’s direction.

Roman stood in his doorway, a hand rubbing the sleep from his eyes as he leaned on the frame for support. He yawned, and he cleared his throat.

“Logan, you’re home early,” he said, his voice still deep from sleep. He took his hand away from his eyes and smiled. However, that smile melted away as he took in the scene before him. He took a step back, his eyes wide and focused on Remy.

“Roman, angel, good morning,” Remy said as he pulled his sunglasses up, revealing the swirling golden colors of his irises. “I was just telling Logan here how important you are to me.”

Roman’s eyes flashed over at Logan. It was a quick glance, but it told a life story. 

“How did you find me?”

“Logan and I are friends from work-”

“We are not.”

“-and I just couldn’t resist coming to see you.”

Roman’s eyes glistened. He swallowed rather hard, and his shoulders shook from the shallow breaths he took, if you could call them breaths.

“Anton, please, just leave me alone,” Roman spoke, his voice barely above a whisper.

Remy frowned and clenched his teeth. He put his hands into his pockets and narrowed his eyes.

“You don’t mean that.”

“I think he does.”

“No one asked you, nerdy loser.” Remy returned his attention to Roman and softened his voice. “Angel, please, I just need to talk-”

“I’m not your angel. I’m not your anything! I told you, I don’t have feelings for you. Why can’t you just accept that?”

Remy sighed through his nose. He shook his head and stared down at the floor for a minute. His head returned up, eyes glassy.

“Fine.”

He stared over at Logan, his eyes swirling like freshly poured milk in tea. Logan’s head started to tingle. Roman sucked in a breath and jolted forward.

“Anton, don’t-”

“The name’s Remy, babe,” he hissed, “and I really didn’t want to, but I’m so over this conversation. Logan, why don’t you tell Roman how you really feel?”

–

Logan’s tongue cracked as he tried to move it. His body failed to respond, like someone sat a bunch of heavy boxes on him. Smooth silk cushioned his back. 

What happened?

Events from prior woke him a little. Remy. Roman. Where was Roman? Was he okay? What did Remy do?

Logan opened his eyes through pure will power. He fought against his sluggish muscles and pushed his body into a sitting position. His hands propped him up. 

The door to the room lay open against the wall. Logan pushed himself out of bed and headed toward it, skipping the slippers and walking in his bare feet. He didn’t care if his toes were tingling. He had to find out what happened to Remy and Roman.

A silhouette stood by the fireplace. Logan squared his jaw and walked over toward it.

“Remy, if you are here, I must have a word with you,” Logan said in a firm voice.

The person at the fire tensed up for a moment, but their shoulders slacked soon after. They turned, and the firelight made one of their eyes appear golden. 

“Ah, yes, I was wondering when you’d wake up.”

Logan froze in his tracks. He stared at the person who gestures for him to join them. The silhouetted figure then sat down in the same chair Deceit had the night before. Ignoring the numbness in his feet, Logan walked over to the chairs. The carpet held a little comfort, but his feet still ached, like he stepped on solid ice.

Deceit continued, “I believe we have a lot to discuss.”

“I believe we do,” Logan replied and took a seat on the couch. “I have several questions I need to be answered.”

Deceit sat on the couch, their skin pale. Their eyes were two different colors, one brown and one yellow, just like the picture Raven showed Logan earlier. However, over their golden eye was a large burn that marred the entire left side of their face and down their neck.

“I’m sure you do,” Deceit spoke at last. They turned their attention to Logan, a sad smile on their face. “Let’s start out by introducing myself properly. My name is Evan Wagner. I’m 31 years of age biologically, and I have the ability to change my appearance at will.”

Deceit held their hand out to shake. Logan stared at it for a moment. 

“If you want to make sure I’m not lying, remove your glove. Then you’ll know what I’m about to tell you is the truth.”

“I’m afraid I can only see a few moments into someone’s past.”

“There’s no harm in trying, is there?”

Logan stared down at his hand. He loosened the glove around his right wrist and slipped it off. The cool air tickled his palm. Logan slowly placed his hand in Deceit’s own. Their skin was rough, and Logan noticed more burns peeking out from the cuff of Deceit’s shirt.

–

_”Remy, you’re back early,” Deceit spoke. A person sat across from them, which Logan recognized as Thomas Sanders, the news reporter. Remy stood on the other side of the room, Logan’s body slumped over his shoulder._

_Remy curled his lip and disappeared into the room he kept Logan in. Deceit looked back over at Thomas._

_“I’m sorry, but I’m afraid I must cut our meeting short,” Deceit said._

_“No problem. I know you’re a busy man,” Thomas replied. He stood from the couch, and Deceit did as well. Thomas offered a handout._

_“Thank you. And I’m sorry about Remy. He’s a bit… well, he’s still trying to figure out how to act like a decent human.”_

_A sad smile graced Thomas’s face. “I’m sure he’ll figure it out.”_

_Deceit nodded their head. They shook Thomas’s hand, and Thomas grabbed his jacket off the back of the couch. He crossed the floor to exit the room. Thomas hesitated at the door, and he turned to face Deceit._

_“I’m going to do my best to get the story past the editors,” Thomas said. “It’s going to be a fight, but people are going to know about what happened. The truth, this time.”_

_“Thank you,” Deceit said with a sigh. They watched Thomas say a final goodbye before leaving the room. Deceit sat back down in their chair and folded their fingers together. They watched Remy leave Logan’s room and slam the door shut. “Leave it open, Remy. He’s a guest, not a prisoner.”_

_Remy squinted as he hesitated for a moment then opened the door back up._

_“Fine,” he hissed out through clenched teeth. He stormed over and threw himself onto the couch. He rested his arms over the back of the chair and spread his legs wide, letting his body sink into the cushions._

_“Of course. Everything sounds completely fine,” Deceit mumbled._

_“Why him?” Remy asked and narrowed his eyes. “Why can’t we just have Patton and be done with it?”_

_“Because Patton needs him, therefore we need him.”_

_“We have Google. We don’t need him.”_

_“Logan is far more than just a walking encyclopedia,” Deceit mumbled. They took a deep breath in and out. “But I’m sure your grudge with him doesn’t stem from his lack of abilities.”_

_Remy crossed his arms. He clenched his jaw, and he glared at a houseplant that did nothing to him. “He came from a good family. He has friends that accept him. He has a job he loves and people who love him back. He has Ro- he has everything. He’s not like us. He didn’t have to struggle. He can pass as a normal human, so where does he fit in our puzzle?”_

_“Passing or not, he’s still one of us,” Deceit said. “Just because Logan hasn’t suffered like you doesn’t make him any less of a deviant.”_

_Remy ran his hands over his face. He let out a long, exasperated sigh and dramatically flopped his head against the couch._

_“Ugh, yeah, fine. You got me there. But how is he going to fight for us if he can’t understand what we’re fighting for?”_

_“Just because Logan doesn’t follow your experience, Remy, does not mean he hasn’t faced oppression of his own. Be mindful.”_

_“Be mindful,” Remy mocked. He stood up from his spot on the couch. “Fine, whatever. I’m going to be mindful in my bedroom. Deuces.”_

_Deceit sighed through their nose and watched Remy stand up from the couch. Remy paused, his eyes cast down onto the floor. For a moment, he didn’t say a word._

_“You’re sure telling him about your past is going to make him trust you?”_

_“It made you trust me, didn’t it?”_

_Remy glanced up and met Deceit’s eyes. He sighed through his nose and shook his head._

_“Whatevs. It’s your life.” With that, Remy climbed the stairs to the second floor and exited into an unknown room._

–

Logan’s hand slid off of Deceit’s, and he blinked a few times. Deceit studied him with an amused expression, their eyebrow raised and lip quirked in the opposite direction.

“Did you have fun?” Deceit asked.

Logan placed his glove back on his hand. He cleared his throat. “I didn’t learn about your name, but I saw your prior conversation with Remy.”

“Ah, that,” Deceit said with a nod.

“For the record, I don’t believe you telling me your name and past is going to make me trust you.”

“I was afraid you’d say that.” Logan eyed them warily. Deceit’s grin never faltered. “Though I’m sure you couldn’t resist the temptation as to why I picked up you and Patton.”

“I am… moderately curious, yes.”

“Very well,” Deceit said and took their seat back on their chair. “I suppose I should start from the beginning. But first, would you like some tea? I believe Jack is making some earl gray this evening.”

Logan furrowed his brow. Who was Jack? Deceit stared at him expectantly, and he thought for a moment.

“No, thank you,” he answered at last.

“Suit yourself. I just assumed you’d want something to warm you up since you ran out of your room without slippers. I do tend to keep the house cold.”

Only now did Logan notice the goosebumps on his bare arms. He rubbed them absentmindedly. Deceit watched him for a moment longer before sighing and starting their story.

“I wouldn’t say my life was a complete tragedy. It did get me to where I am today: helping deviants who need to escape from a world that hates them as well as trying to give us a voice. It’s almost like I was painted as the bad guy to give others a chance, and I’m fine with that.”

A baby’s laugh echoed throughout the room, stopping the conversation. Deceit looked over Logan’s head, and they smiled. Logan furrowed his brow. He turned and glanced over the couch. 

A beautiful woman stepped into the room carrying a young child. The room grew cold, but not uncomfortably so.

“Deceit, we’re out of formula,” she informed.

“Thank you, Cassie. I’ll make sure to have some delivered soon.”

Cassie caught Logan’s eye, smiled, and excused herself. Logan watched her walkway as she cooed at the baby in her arms and spoke utter nonsense. He turned his attention back to Deceit, who watched the interaction with a soft expression.

Logan had more questions than answers, but he vowed to ask them all one at a time. And there was still the matter between Roman and Remy.

Roman. Logan’s heart pinched. Was Roman okay? Did Remy hurt him after he brought Logan here? What was he doing now? Did he let Remy take him from their apartment without a fuss or did he put up a fight? What was their history together, and why was Roman so terrified of Remy.

“Logan?”

Logan’s head snapped up. He blinked a few times, noticing Deceit grew a bit, or at least sat up straight. Logan’s hand fell away from his chin. Deceit’s expression was either one of confusion or amusement (or perhaps both and Logan couldn’t tell), and their eyes studied Logan all over, almost like they never saw him before.

“Yes?” Logan asked slowly.

Deceit’s mouth slowly curled into a smile. Their eyes stared straight into Logan’s own.

“Whoever are you thinking about?”

Logan blinked a few times. “I’m not sure why that information is relevant to the moment.”

Deceit stood. “Stay here. I’m going to find a mirror.”

“A mirror?” Logan repeated. He watched Deceit scale the stairs to the second floor and disappear in another room. 

The fire’s crackle kept him company. Logan relaxed and leaned back into the couch. He sighed through his nose. Perhaps when Deceit returned, he’d ask if they knew anything about Remy’s involvement in Roman’s life.

The sound of fine china clinking behind him turned Logan’s head. He caught sight of a young person with long, red hair and green eyes carrying a tray with a teapot on it. Even with their contents aboard, they walked unevenly and carelessly. However, not a drop of tea spilled. 

“Your earl gray,” they announced and set the tea on the table. They blinked a few times as they stared at the empty chair in front of them. “Oh, where’d they go?”

Oh, this must be Jack. Deceit did mention someone was bringing tea.

“I believe they excused themselves from the room to find a mirror for some reason,” Logan informed them.

Jack turned to Logan, and their expression guarded itself. They spoke in a low tone, “Who are you?”

“My name is Logan Allen, and I’m-”

“Oh! Wait, you’re Intuition?” Jack’s eyebrows furrowed. “I thought you were… I dunno… paler?”

Logan tried not to take offense to that and drew his lips into a tight line. He said in a calm voice, “The low light and fire will play tricks on the mind through shadow.”

“Okay,” Jack responded with a shrug. “Do you know when Deceit will be back?”

“Not particularly. That’s not one of my set skills.”

Jack hummed. They flopped down on the couch next to Logan, careful to keep a safe distance. They blew through their lips, making a motorboat noise, and tapped their fingers on the couch.

“Sooo,” Jack started, but their voice trailed off. They instead watched the fire in silence.

Logan turned his head over to them. “What is your business with Deceit?”

Jack turned their head and blinked. They chewed on their bottom lip and glanced down at the floor.

“I don’t have any business with them,” they mumbled.

“Oh, then are you their child of some sort?”

Jack darkly laughed, “Kind of. They did rescue me.”

“Oh, you mean through adoption.”

“Let’s go with that.”

The air between them stilled once again. Jack kept glancing over at Logan and chipped away at Logan’s nerves. Before he could snap, Deceit entered the room once again. Jack straightened up in their seat, and a wide grin graced their face.

“I see you’ve made a friend, Jack,” Deceit said with an amused smile. They returned to their seat and sat.

Jack stared down at their feet, and their pale freckled cheeks tinted red.

Deceit held a gold hand mirror. Their smile never left as they studied Logan, and their head tilted slightly to the right.

“Logan, do you know what you did?” Deceit asked.

Logan’s eyebrows furrowed. He tried to recall any sort of problem Deceit would have with him, and slowly shook his head.

“I’m afraid I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

Deceit showcased the mirror. Logan’s eyes widened. He reached out and grabbed the mirror from Deceit’s hand. How- What- Why?

Logan stared up at Deceit, his chest tightening and teeth clenched. “What is going on?”

“I was hoping you could tell me,” Deceit responded in a cool tone.

Logan glanced back at the mirror. Roman- for lack of better words- mirrored his every move. Logan reached up and touched his cheek. Roman did the same. Logan narrowed his eyes. Roman did the same. Logan’s hand reached up, and his fingers traced through soft hair that definitely didn’t belong to him. His eyes widened.

Roman did the same.

“I-” Logan started but never finished.

Deceit followed Logan’s every move, an amused expression overtaking their curiosity. They laughed lowly in their throat.

“My, my, Logan. I had no idea you can copy the abilities of deviants.”

“I can’t,” Logan responded.

“Then how do you explain this?”

Logan blinked a few times. “I… can’t.”

“It appears you can.”

But… no. He never absorbed Patton’s ability after touching him. Of course, he never tried to run after touching Patton either. However, that would explain how Logan felt extremely hungry whenever he touched Patton and how his heart would race. He did know he could pick up normal abilities, like being good at a sport or learning a martial art through touch, but he never assumed he could do it with powers as well.

Logan watched Roman’s appearance melt away until he stared back at his own reflection. The transformation reminded him of an octopus changing its color. He glanced over the mirror and caught Deceit’s eye.

“It appears so.”

Deceit hummed. They folded their fingers together, and a smile twisted their lips. “Perhaps you can be of help to us after all.”


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Patton sets off to find Logan while Roman and Virgil catch up. There are a few tender moments, you know, if you look past the drama.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Warnings: implied mind control, death mention, torture mention, eating, mentions of losing consiousness (last chapter), kidnapping mention, stalking mention  
Word Count: 6387

Roman groaned as he blinked his eyes open. The cool carpet of his bedroom cushioned him. Night had long ago settled through his window, and the light from his glow in the dark stars helped illuminate the walls. His bedroom door hung slightly open and let the kitchen’s light in.

What happened?

Roman pushed himself onto his knees. He staggered to his bedroom door and looked into the empty living room. How long was he asleep? He glanced at the clock. Midnight. Roman brought his brows together. He used the island to help keep his balance and stand upright.

Logan should be home by now. He rummaged through his pockets. If he wasn’t going to be home, he would’ve left a message for Roman to find. Roman unlocked his phone. Notifications from various social media stared back at him, and he skimmed through them.

Nothing from Logan.

Panic gripped his heart. What if something happened? What if he was mugged on the way home? What if some villain figured out his secret identity and stole him away? Was he being tortured? Was he in danger? Was he-

Events from prior flooded into Roman’s memory. Anton- no Remy- Remy had come to the apartment. Fear quickened Roman’s heart. Remy was here. Remy broke in, and Remy was talking to Logan.

_”Why don’t you tell him how you really feel about him?”_

Roman squeezed his eyes shut. The dead stare Logan gave him, the curl of his lips, how he looked at Roman like he was gum under his shoe.”

_”Useless.”_

Roman winced.

_”An embarrassment to the human race.”_

Tears came to Roman’s eyes as he covered his mouth.

_”I sometimes wonder why I ever brought you back into my life.”_

Hot trails lined Roman’s cheek, and he put both palms over his eyes. Logan really had said those awful things. Even after all the progress, even after all the laughter, even after Roman thought they had moved past everything and were starting to become friends again, Logan still hated him.

Why didn’t he just let Roman freeze to death on the street like he wanted to?

_”But.”_

Roman’s eyes snapped open.

_”Roman is one of the most dependable people I have ever run into.”_

He wiped the stale tears from his face.

_”He’ll go to the ends of the earth to make things right again.”_

Roman stood straight.

_”And despite our past, I’m glad to have him back in my life.”_

Roman grabbed his shoes from the door. He pulled the apartment’s door closed with a slam that probably woke the neighbors, but Roman didn’t care. He pulled out his phone and scrolled through the contacts. Pushing Logan’s name, he held the phone up to his ear and prayed that Logan had it on him.

It rang.

And rang.

“Salutations-”

“Logan, I-”

“I’m unable to hear my cellular device at the time, as I am probably preoccupied with personal endeavors.”

Roman groaned. He waited for the message to end, and the answering machine’s beep sounded in his ear.

“Logan, I’m not sure where you are right now, but please call me back. I need to know you’re alright. Please? Bye- oh wait this is Roman. Bye.”

Roman pulled the phone away from his ear with a sigh. He stared at the blank screen and composed himself. Logan was probably busy. Logan wasn’t in danger. Logan wasn’t who knows where being tortured by evil villains.

Roman dialed and pulled the phone up to his ears once more.

The phone rang, the answering machine picked up, and he went to voicemail. Again. And again. And again.

Roman pulled the phone away from his ear with an annoyed growl. Where was he going? He had no idea where Logan was. The library would be closed by now. He didn’t have Patton’s number or know where he was, but Virgil might.

Wait.

Virgil.

Roman dialed one last number. He prayed Virgil wasn’t in a ghosting mood.

–

“As long as you can remember, huh?” Virgil asked as he took a handful of popcorn and attempted to fit as much as he could in his mouth. A few pieces fell back into the bowl, and Virgil quickly retrieved them.

“Yeah,” Patton answered and popped a few in his mouth. He took smaller bites, but for every scoop Virgil took, Patton took three.

“So, why didn’t you ever try out for a sport? You could probably run laps around everyone before they started.”

“That’s cheating!”

“Oh, right, forgot who I was talking to.”

“Besides, I didn’t want anyone to know about me.”

“So you don’t run as fast as you can,” Virgil said with a shrug. “You just pretend you’re the fastest human alive, you know, like that Bolt guy.”

Patton furrowed his brow. “But I am human, Virgil.”

Virgil’s eyes widened, and he stammered, “Oh- wait- sh- no I’m sorry- I didn’t mean-”

“It’s fine, kiddo,” Patton said with a kind smile. He put his now empty bowl of popcorn on the table and folded his legs on the couch. Virgil stared at the empty bowl in amazement.

They just popped that two minutes ago.

“And Logan,” Virgil swallowed hard, “Logan said he can learn anything by touching people?”

“Yes.”

“No wonder he passed school with a 4.0 grade average.”

“Hey, give Logan some credit. He really is super smart.”

Virgil paused. He didn’t feel right talking about Logan’s powers without him present. He still wasn’t sure why Logan told him. They weren’t close, but apparently, Virgil needed to know. At least, that’s what Logan said.

“You know, this explains so much now,” Virgil said through his mouthful of popcorn. He swallowed hard. “I mean, I could tell you were always hiding something from me, but I thought that’s because you really didn’t like me and were only pretending-”

“Virgil-“ Patton’s tone warned.

“I said thought. You know my thoughts are wrong a lot.”

Patton played with his fingers. “I’m sorry if I ever made you feel that way.”

“Hey, no, you don’t get to apologize for my broken brain.”

“You’re not broken.”

“No, I know, I just- jeez let me be self-deprecating, will you?”

Patton grinned. “Never.”

Virgil ran a hand through his hair. He sighed through his lips and gave a dark laugh. "So, everything I ever said about superheroes… you know that doesn’t mean you, right?”

“Why? What makes me different?”

“Well, you-” Virgil thought. He chewed on his lip. “Well, you’re not like other superheroes.”

“What do you mean?

"Well, they’re arrogant, and they’re loud, and they only care about making themselves look good. I mean, look at Iron Man.”

“Not every superhero is Iron Man.”

“Alright, fine, bad example. But, I mean, it’s just-”

Virgil’s phone rang. Virgil sighed in relief. Saved by the bell. Virgil read the name that appeared on the screen and wrinkled his brow.

“Why’s he calling me?” Virgil mumbled. Patton leaned over to get a better look, but Virgil answered and put it up to his ear before he could.

“What’s up, Princey,” Virgil asked. The longer he listened, the more serious his expression became. “Wait, wait, slow down. What do you mean Logan’s missing?”

Patton’s chest constricted. He strained his hearing to listen in. Virgil noticed Patton’s distress and pulled the phone from his ear. He hit the speaker button.

“-and then when I woke up, he was gone.”

“Wait, Roman, I got Patton with me. Can you start from the beginning?”

“Of course. Hello, Patton.”

Patton tried to speak, but all that came out was a squeak.

“Well, I was minding my own business in our apartment when An- someone showed up. He… he did something strange to me, and the next thing I remembered, I woke up in my bed. Naturally, I was rather distressed that time seemed to move without me. However, when I emerged from my room, this villain and Logan were talking, and he… he did something to Logan. It was almost like Logan was put into a trance. There was this yellow dust, and- I tried to get him away from Logan, but I must’ve blacked out again, and when I woke, he and the villain was gone.”

“Wait, gold dust?” Patton snapped his fingers. “Oh, that’s not a villain. That’s just Remy.”

The other side of the phone grew quiet. Patton waited for Roman to say something, but only static answered.

“Roman, are you there?”

“I-I’m here,” came his shaky reply.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. Nothing’s- that’s the Remy who you went with the other night? Why didn’t he just ask Logan to go? Why would he take him against his will?”

Virgil’s head snapped up. “Wait, against his will? You sure this guy’s a good guy, Pat?”

“He is! He works for Deceit-” Patton paused, “He’s someone who’s trying to help powered people out. He helped me rescue those powered people the other night, you know, the ones who were being used?”

Virgil blinked and pretended he knew what Patton was talking about. What kind of good guy used Deceit as their name? “So, why not just ask like a normal person?”

“Well, Deceit doesn’t trust Logan yet, I guess. They told me where the mansion is, but they didn’t tell Logan yet, so they use Remy to get us back and forth without us knowing where they’re at.”

“And that doesn’t make you worried at all?” Virgil asked.

“Well,” Patton hesitated. He rubbed his bare arms. “They said they wanted to help.”

“And you believed them?”

Patton stayed quiet at that. He didn’t want to believe Remy and Deceit were trying to hurt them, not with the way Deceit spoke about how much they wanted to help others and how Remy talked about how he never wanted everyone to suffer as he did. They were just going about it the wrong way.

Right?

“So you don’t know where Logan is?” Roman said through his sigh.

“Oh, no, I know,” Patton answered.

“That’s fantastic! Patton, please go see if Logan is there. I just… I need to know he’s alright.”

“Can do, kiddo.”

“Thank you.”

A smile tugged at Patton’s lips.

Virgil glanced down at the phone in his hand and said, “Alright, Princey, is that all you wanted?”

“Oh, no, I’m coming over. I just… I need somewhere to be that isn’t Logan’s apartment right now. I need…”

Virgil waited for Roman to continue, but the other side grew quiet. “Hey, Princey, you still there?”

“Oh, yes, I just… I’m coming over.”

“Great,” Virgil said with mock enthusiasm. He got a nasty glare from Patton, and he blinked his grumpiness away. “Alright, see you soon.”

“Good luck, Patton.”

“Thanks.”

The line clicked closed, and Virgil turned his phone off. He glanced up at Patton, his eyes twitching with worry. Patton offered a sympathetic smile.

“You’re sure you can trust these guys?” Virgil asked again.

Patton sighed through his nose. He ran a hand through his hair and replied, “I don’t know if I have a choice anymore, kiddo.”

The answer did nothing to soothe Virgil’s nerves, and he rubbed the chills on his arms away. “You let me know the minute you find him, got it?”

“Don’t worry. I’m not making the same mistake twice,” Patton informed. He stood up from the couch and eyed the bracelet on his wrist. His finger hit the button, and his uniform spread out across his skin. Virgil watched with fascination as the blue and silver bodysuit surrounded Patton.

“Alright, I’m not going to lie. That’s kinda cool.”

Patton offered him a smile. He walked over to the door at a normal pace, opened it, sent one last quick smile at Virgil, then ran off down the hall. Virgil rushed to the doorway to catch a glimpse of Patton as he ran, but the speedster had already disappeared.

Virgil’s nerves grew tenfold. How could he let Patton run off by himself like that? What if he got hurt? What if this was all a trap? What if Logan wasn’t there and these people really were trying to lure Patton there?

Virgil closed the door to his apartment. All he could do now was pace and hope for the best.

–

Logan grunted as he flew onto his back. He coughed as the air left his lungs. Sweat dripped down the side of his face, and he wiped it away with his bare hands. Slowly, his elbows pushed him back up into a sitting position. He adjusted the glasses on his face.

“Twenty-four minutes, thirty-seven seconds,” Deceit’s voice echoed throughout the stark white room.

“Wow, you lasted longer this time,” a young girl in her teens said as she approached. She pushed the strand of hair that escaped her hijab back in place and held out her hand to help Logan up.

“You didn’t go easy on him, did you Fajjr?” Deceit taunted.

“Of course not,” she said with a wink. She held out a hand, and Logan gladly took it. She pulled Logan onto his feet with ease, and Logan’s back protested. He hoped he didn’t bruise anything.

Deceit reset the timer on the board, a satisfied smile on their lips. They stared down at Logan from the second floor observatory and called through the microphone, “That’s your best record yet. You think you can keep Fajjr’s super strength for thirty minutes this time?”

“If I may,” Logan said through his shortness of breath, “we’ve been at this for nearly 2 hours, and I’m starting to grow more and more fatigued as the night goes on. I did not get a good night’s rest last night, and my body is starting to feel the negative effects of it.”

“Old man,” Fajjr mumbled under her breath. She giggled as Logan sent her a stern look.

“Of course,” Deceit answered. “We’ll continue at another time. I have something for you anyway. Meet me up in the observatory. And you, young lady, get to bed. You have lessons with Cassie tomorrow.”

“You’re not my parent,” Fajjr shot back. She paused, then smiled up at the window. “Night, Dee.”

“Goodnight, Fajjr.” Deceit clicked off the intercom and hummed thoughtfully to themselves. They played with the black and blue band between their fingertips.

“You sure he’s worth it?” came an annoyed voice at their side.

Deceit turned their attention to Remy, who twisted back and forth on a swivel chair, his foot pressed up against the control panel. He curled his nose up at Deceit, who nodded their head and sent a stern expression.

“I know you don’t particularly like Logan-”

“Understatement of the century.”

“-but he’s proven his worth.”

“Yeah, well, those bracelets are expensive, and we don’t even know if he’s going to say yes.”

“We didn’t know if Patton would say yes, but we took a chance anyway.”

“Patton was worth it. Besides, he’s too gullible to say no.”

“Remy.”

“Relax, I’m just joking.”

Deceit glared down at Remy and shook their head. The doors behind them opened, silencing any conversation the two of them were going to have next, and Deceit turned with a forced smile.

“Logan,” they spoke as they spread their arms wide, "you’re looking better already.”

Logan sent them a squint instead of an answer, and Remy turned around in his chair so he didn’t have to look at either of them.

“I’m sure that training exercise served some sort of purpose.”

“Of course. I wanted to see how far you can push your abilities. And I discovered the more you used them on a specific person, the longer you retained their skill.”

“Repetition is a good teacher.”

“Naturally. So, how did it feel to not feel useless?”

“Excuse me?”

Remy snorted, and Deceit sent him a glare from the corner of their eye. They turned their attention back to Logan.

“Because I’m sure you’re totally content sitting on the sidelines while Patton gets all the recognition for saving people,” Deceit’s voice dripped with sarcasm.

“Patton does not get all the recognition for saving people.”

“Maybe, but he definitely is better liked.”

The words stung, and Logan visibly recoiled. He puffed out his chest and solidified his hurt into annoyance. His eyes drifted down to Deceit’s hand, and he observed the bracelet with curiosity.

“You like it?” Deceit asked as they twisted it around in their grip.

“What is it?”

“It’s a lot of things. It’s a vital sign checker, so I can see if you’re injured anywhere, what your heart rate is, if you’re still breathing, and whatnot. It’s got a built-in sports bra to help you do strenuous workouts safely. It’s a tracking device in case you ever get kidnapped so I can send help to rescue you. It’s also you’re new uniform.”

Logan curled his nose. “You expect me to wear that as a uniform?”

Deceit turned and hit a few keys on the monitor. The glass window turned into a computer screen. Lit up on the display was a dark blue suit from head to toe. Three black and two purple stripes ran across the waist. The suit was navy until the forearms, and black gloves finished the arm’s section. A black pair of goggles ran over the eyes. The only stark contrast to the suit was the white “I” in the middle of its chest where the lightbulb should’ve been.

“Well,” Logan said just to break the silence.

“Do you like it?”

Logan studied it further. How would he be able to borrow people’s abilities if he couldn’t make skin contact? Why so much black and blue? What were the goggles for? And more importantly, where was the signature lightbulb that Patton drew on his other uniform?

"I do admit I have questions,” Logan answered.

“Naturally. Inquisitive people always do.”

“Exactly how am I supposed to use this technology to help me obtain other abilities?”

“Easy. The suit is capable of retracting the gloves from your hands at your command. That way, you only have to touch what you want to.”

Logan’s eyebrows perked with a hum. He examined his unloved hands and flexed his fingers. “I must admit, that is a handy feature. However, I’m concerned about the tracking device.”

“Well, we already know where you live,” Deceit said with a smirk.

“Of course, but I’m not sure I’m comfortable with you knowing where I am at all times.”

“Like I said, it’s for emergencies only. Do you think I’m going to spy on you in the bathroom or something?”

Logan flinched at that comment. Deceit must’ve noticed their mistake as well, as they cleared their throat to continue.

“Is that all the questions you have?”

Logan stared at the band in Deceit’s hand. His eyes flickered back to the screen to stare at the uniform presented. Deceit’s smile widened. Logan took a deep breath in and out, and he folded his arms.

“I’m sure it’s a wonderful uniform, but there’s a certain attachment I have to my older one.”

Deceit’s smile flinched. “You can’t possibly think a polo with a lightbulb is a fit uniform for you?”

“It’s not the uniform that’s the issue. It’s the hard work that went into it.”

Deceit eyed Logan, and their smile returned to a natural position. “Well, I didn’t expect you to be the sentimental type, Logan.”

“I’m not,” Logan replied, “but that uniform represents more than just a uniform to me.”

Memories of him and Patton designing their uniforms played in his mind. He could see Patton sticking his tongue out as he drew an objectively bad light bulb in a silver sharpie. He was so proud of it. Logan could care less what Patton drew, just that it was Patton that drew it. That polo meant more to him than anything Logan could think of.

“Alright, fine, but perhaps you’d like to wear the bracelet as a precautionary measure. Just in case.”

Logan opened his mouth to speak, but an alarm played on the computer. Remy squinted and hit a few keys on the computer. A chuckle followed.

“Hey, Patton’s here,” he announced.

Deceit leaned over Remy’s chair. The security camera at the front door showed Patton knocking rather insistently.

Remy hit a button on the control panel, and he spoke into the microphone, “What’s the password?”

Patton blinked and rubbed his neck. “I didn’t know there was a password.”

“Relax, babe, I’m just teasing.” Remy hit a button, and there was an audible click from the front door. “Come on in. We’ll meet you in the living room.”

Patton entered the door, and Remy turned around in his chair. He walked past both Logan and Deceit and exited out the door. Deceit turned his attention to Logan.

“Just… think about it. I won’t make you wear it if you don’t want to, but I hope you come to your senses and realize how vital this device is for your safety, especially with the built in sports bra. It’s such a bad idea to bind while exercising, after all.”

Logan nodded his head and followed Deceit into the living room. He opened the door to the observatory and walked down the narrow hallway toward the living room. He kept Deceit’s shadow in the corner of his eye the entire time, watching for any sort of movement that would give away their intentions as being impure, but Deceit abandoned the bracelet in the control panel’s room.

Echoes of Patton and Remy’s voice traveled down the hallway, and Logan froze in his tracks. Deceit stopped, rose a brow, and turned to him, but Logan showed no signs of wanting to share his choice.

“-him worried sick.” Patton’s voice, ever soft and sweet.

“Why does he even care anyway?” Remy’s annoyed voice followed.

“They’re friends.”

“Yeah, yeah, love and mush all around. Even if Logan did have his phone, he’s been busy.”

“Busy? Doing what?”

A long pause followed. Only then did Logan find the last few steps in the hallway. He emerged onto the second floor of the living room and leaned over the railing to get a better look.

Patton wore a strange blue uniform, his arms crossed and eyes intent on Remy. He didn’t seem to notice Logan and Deceit on the second floor’s overlook. Remy stood with his back to them, hands shoved into his pockets.

Patton grew frustrated with Remy’s silence, and he put his hands on his hips. “Where is Logan?”

“Up here,” Logan called out.

Patton jumped, and his head snapped up in Logan’s direction. His lips pulled into a wide smile, and he spied the stairs to the second floor. Patton was in front of Logan’s face in an instant. His arms reached out to hug, but he stopped himself in the middle of his movement and instead clasped his hands together at his stomach.

“You’re okay!” Patton chirped.

Logan furrowed a brow. “I am. Why wouldn’t I be?”

“I told you, Patton, I had no intention of harming Logan or you,” Deceit interrupted. Logan glanced at them out of the corner of his eye.

Patton breathed a sigh of relief, and his smile widened even further. “I know.”

“What brings you here, Patton?” Logan asked.

Patton blinked. “Oh! Well, Roman called Virgil really upset that you just disappeared without warning, and he was trying to call you to make sure you were okay, but I guess you didn’t have your phone, so he asked me to find you and make sure.”

Deceit glared over the rail at Remy, who shrugged and started to walk away from the conversation. They sighed through their nose and shook their head.

“My deepest apologies for making you worry,” Deceit said, “but Remy sometimes forgets his manners.”

“Sometimes? He has manners?” Logan mumbled.

“That’s okay. Now I can tell Roman that Logan is okay.”

“There’s no need. I’ll tell him myself. I believe I’m done training for the day.”

“Training?”

Deceit grinned. “Logan was ever so polite and showed me just exactly what that hand touching ability of his can do.”

“Apparently, not only can I obtain normal skills from the average person, but I can also absorb special powers from people.”

Patton furrowed his brow. “Wait, really?”

“It appears so.”

Patton’s eye went from Deceit to Logan, wondering just how they figured that out, but he never asked. Logan turned to Deceit, and Deceit rose a brow.

“I’m guessing you want to go home now?” they asked.

“I’d like to, yes.”

“Very well. I hope to see you in the future.” Deceit turned and started walking down the hall. Logan furrowed his brow, and he looked around for any signs of Remy, but he was nowhere to be found either.

How was he going to get home?

Wait.

Was Deceit trusting him with knowledge of the mansion’s location?

“Well, are ya coming, Lo?” Patton asked.

Logan cast one more glance in Deceit’s direction then slowly nodded. “I assume so.”

–

A knock at his door pushed Virgil to his feet. He crossed the room at a new personal record, unlocked the front door, and held his breath. He shouldn’t have been disappointed when Roman stood there. After all, Roman did say he was coming over. However, he was hoping it was a certain keyless roommate.

“Good evening, Count Woelaf,” Roman chirped.

Virgil shushed him. “Roman, it’s one in the morning.”

“Oh.“ Roman lowered his voice. "Good morning, Count Woelaf.”

Virgil scrubbed a hand over his face. He stepped aside and let Roman in. Only now did Virgil notice how messy Roman’s appearance was, and he swallowed hard.

“You look horrible,” Virgil grumbled.

"Like you’re one to talk. You didn’t even get out of your pajamas.”

“It’s one in the morning.”

“Like that makes a difference.”

“No offense, Princey, but you’re not exactly on my dress to impress list. Besides, who calls people in the middle of the night and asks to come over?”

“I do recall a certain someone calling me up at three in the morning because their roommate was missing some time last week.”

“Hey, that was… whatever. You feeling okay?”

The bravado Roman put on disappeared somewhat, but he fought to get it back. “Never better! Why do you ask?”

“Come on, Princey. You know you don’t have to pretend with me. It’s alright to be worried about him.”

Roman deflated, and his hands reached up to rub his arms, but he crossed them at the last minute. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“You and I both know you’re worried about Logan.”

“I- naturally, yes! I don’t know where he is, and neither he nor Patton have called to inform me that he’s ali-okay.”

Virgil sighed through his nose and shuffled his feet back over to the couch. Roman followed, and he plopped down with a long exhale. The couch groaned in protest, and Virgil sent Roman a glare, but Roman didn’t seem to notice or care.

“I’m sure he’s fine,” Virgil answered. “Patton said he’d tell us when he found him, right?”

Roman didn’t respond. Instead, he stared straight at the blank wall. Virgil watched him and waited for a response, but when it was clear Roman wasn’t in a talking mood, he pulled out his phone to make sure Patton hadn’t texted him at all. He didn’t.

“That’s a change of pace,” Roman mumbled.

“What, me nervously checking my phone?”

“You being the optimistic one.”

“I’m not being optimistic. I’m just… alright maybe I’m being a little optimistic, but-”

“It’s fine, Virgil. You don’t have to explain yourself to me.”

The use of his name with that defeated tone stilled Virgil’s breath. He swallowed hard and glanced down at the blank screen of his phone, waiting for a buzz or a ding or a ring of any sort. Silence spread between the two of them like a blanket. Virgil couldn’t help but keep looking over at Roman for any sort of movement, but Roman was as still as the house itself.

Virgil’s leg began to bounce on the floor. Why wasn’t Patton calling? Why hadn’t he texted to let them know Logan was safe? It wasn’t like him to keep Virgil waiting- well if you scratched out that one incident, but that was one incident.

Roman took a deep breath in, the only sign that he was alive, and released it soon after.

“It wasn’t just Logan disappearing that has me… shook up.”

Virgil snorted. “I thought not. I mean, I’d be pretty shaken up too if a random person came into my house and stole my roommate.”

“It wasn’t,” Roman pursed his lips. He ran a hand through his hair and sighed. “It wasn’t just some random person, Virgil. I… I knew them.”

Virgil wrinkled his nose. “You did? Well, who was it.”

“Someone I thought I prayed I’d never see again.”

“Like… who?”

“Like Anton.”

Virgil’s eyebrows slowly rose to his hairline. “Um, excuse me? What?”

“But he doesn’t go by Anton anymore. Apparently now he goes by Remy.”

“Yeah, I’d go by a different name too if I stalked people and had a restraining order against me.”

“I don’t have a restraining order against him. I just told you that to make you feel better.”

“What! Roman, you’re telling me you went two years running from this guy, and you didn’t-”

“I tried, but they couldn’t make one. They said there was no proof.”

“Like fuck there was no proof. Roman, he-”

“I know. Don’t you think I know? I was there.” Roman’s voice grew low, dangerously low. His body started to tremble, and his hands did hug his arms this time. “Like they said, I probably asked for it anyway.”

“Roman, no one deserves what he did to you.”

Roman snorted. “Oh, trust me, it was karma getting me back. I deserved it.”

Virgil opened his mouth to retort, but Roman’s phone buzzed. Roman scrambled to open the text, his chest rising with anticipation. However, he quickly deflated seeing the name on the screen.

“Is it him?” Virgil asked as he leaned over Roman’s shoulder. “I swear if he somehow got your number-”

“No, it’s not him,” Roman mumbled.

Virgil raised a brow. “Oh… kay.”

“I-” Roman started, blew through his lips, then scrubbed a hand through his hair, “I may have got an interview with Patton earlier today to get an inside story on Palpitation, but… but my boss rejected it.”

“What?”

“He said it was too politically charged, that I was favoring Patton and not being unbiased.”

“Unbiased? It was an interview.”

“I know. I wanted to see what Patton knew about that human trafficking ring, and I got a lot of good information. Apparently, it was all people who were powered involved. He said it was horrible-”

“Wait, Patton was in a place like that?”

“Yes.” Roman rose a brow. “You didn’t know? It happened a week ago.”

“Ro, a week ago I was trying not to die.”

“Ah yes, well, now you know.”

Virgil scrubbed a hand over his face. He blew heavily through his nose and mumbled, “I don’t know if I like Patton being a superhero.”

“You mean, besides the fact that you detest superheroes.”

Virgil blinked. “I don’t hate superheroes.”

“Oh yeah? Name one superhero besides Patton and Logan.”

“Iron Man.”

“A _real_ superhero, not a fictional one.”

Virgil opened his mouth, growled, and crossed his arms. “I don’t have to prove anything to you.”

“Virgil, I’ve known you since you were 4. You hate superheroes.”

“Alright fine! So I’m not big on them, but can you blame me? We tried to get help from people who were supposed to be our heroes. The teachers didn’t help, the nurses didn’t help, the police didn’t help, mom… mom didn’t help. No one came to save us. No one cared enough to help. We had to be our own heroes, so why should I believe in people who call themselves superheroes when none of them help people like us? They’re only in it for the glory and you know it.”

Roman grew quiet. He looked down at the ground, and he sighed through his nose. A bitter frown settled on his lips.

Virgil flopped his back into the couch, and he heavily exhaled through his lips. He stared down at his feet and crossed his arms. A scowl wrinkled his face. He took short breaths through his nose, and for a while, he reveled in Roman’s silence.

“Logan saved me.”

Virgil’s head snapped up so fast he thought he’d get whiplash.

Roman continued, “And I know for a fact that Patton saved you. He got you out of that gang a while back, even vouched for you when you got your job at Wei Market. He called every day you stayed home on your bad days. He made sure you had lunch to eat every day. How can you sit there and tell me heroes don’t exist when we were saved by literal heroes? Not because they have powers, but because they took a chance on us when no one else did.”

“I…” Virgil sighed. “I guess you’re… kinda right… in an irritating sort of way.”

Roman’s smile was a shadow of what it should’ve been, but it was there nonetheless. His phone beeped again, and Roman checked the screen. He growled through his teeth and deleted it before he even read the message.

“Who was that?” Virgil asked.

“Oh, just someone from work tormenting me about getting my article denied,” Roman responded, his smile gone as quickly as it came. “I don’t even know how they found out about it so quickly, but honestly, I don’t even care at this point.”

Virgil turned his body to face Roman, and he clenched his teeth. Roman looked absolutely defeated, and it irritated Virgil more and more the longer he stared. Virgil stood from his spot on the couch, and Roman watched him walk away. Roman called out Virgil’s name, but Virgil didn’t stop. He disappeared into the kitchen, and Roman stood up.

“What are you doing?” Roman asked as he entered the kitchen.

“Getting ice cream.”

“You… you hate ice cream.”

“I know.” Virgil pulled out a tub of strawberry ice cream and scraped off some of the frost from the lid. He handed it and a large spoon out to Roman. “You earned it, bro.”

Roman hesitated before he reached out. His fingers it the cold outside of the container. The shock squeezed his gut, and suddenly every emotion he contained the past twelve hours rushed out of him at once.

Did Virgil keep that in his fridge all this time in case Roman came over? How long was it in there? Was Virgil really willing to put up with him for the next few hours? Why was he crying over a goddamn pint of strawberry ice cream?

Virgil awkwardly shuffled his feet, and he mumbled, “Do you, uh, need a hug or something?”

The moment Virgil opened his arms, Roman latched onto him. Virgil staggered back with a surprised yelp as Roman pinned Virgil’s back against the counter and squeezed his chest. Virgil blinked his shock away. He slowly reached around to pat Roman on the back several times.

“Uh, it’s okay. Let it all out,” Virgil said in as comforting a voice as he could manage. It still sounded like shrieking cats, but at least he tried. Patton was way better at the comfort thing than he ever was.

Virgil’s phone started to ring, the familiar melody of Steven Universe’s ending playing in his pocket, and squeezed his hand into his pocket. He pulled it out and stared at the Winnie the Pooh profile picture staring at him. He hit the speaker button.

“Hey Pat,” Virgil spoke.

Like a switch, Roman silenced his tears.

“Heya, kiddo! I found Logan.”

“Great,” Virgil answered.

“Is he alright?” Roman asked.

“He’s fine,” Patton answered. There was a pause and a hushed voice on the other end. Roman assumed it was Logan. Patton continued, “Are you still going to be at our apartment when we get there, Roman?”

“Yes,” Roman answered.

“Okay, good. Logan and you can sleep over since it’s so late. I’m kinda surprised the buses are still working this late.”

Virgil creased his brow. “Why aren’t you, ya know, running?”

“I used up a lot of energy to get to Deceit’s house. I’m kinda like a cheetah. I’m super fast for a little while and then I need a snack.”

“How long until you get here?” Roman asked.

“Oh um,” Patton paused to ask Logan for an estimated time, “Lo says we should be back in about fifteen minutes or so.”

Roman exhaled everything in his lungs, and he rested his head on Virgil’s shoulder. Virgil clenched his teeth and squished his lips together.

Patton continued, “So I guess we’ll see you soon.”

Virgil answered, “Yeah. See you soon, Pat. We got a lot to talk about.”

Roman snapped his head up, hurt in his eyes, and Virgil glared at him, demanding Roman challenge him.

“Okay. Bye!”

Virgil clicked the red button to hang up.

“Why did you say that?” Roman asked.

“Because Patton needs to know about Remy.”

“No, he doesn’t.” Roman took a few steps back. “What happened is my story to tell.”

“Then you tell him.”

“I-” Roman ran his free hand through his hair. He remembered the ice cream in his other hand and set it down on the counter. “I don’t know if… I can. It’s not just Patton that’ll be listening.”

“Logan deserves to know too. Remy broke into your apartment for fuck’s sake. You deserve to be safe in your own home, and for that to happen, Logan needs to know.”

Roman sighed through his nose. He leaned on the table and tried not to get sick. His skin burned everywhere Remy ever touched, and his heart raced.

Virgil put a comforting hand next to Roman’s, not touching but close enough that Roman could easily close the gap if he wanted to.

“It’s alright, Princey. I’ll help you. You don’t have to go through this alone. Not this time.”

Roman glanced up at Virgil, a grin spreading across his face. He moved his hand on top of Virgil’s and gave it a gentle squeeze.

“Thank you.”


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Roman strolls down memory lane as he recalls just what put him on Remy's radar. It's... not a happy love story, despite what Remy will tell you.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Warnings: toxic relationship, abuse (don't take these warnings lightly), alcohol, kissing, non-con touching, possessiveness, murder mentions, stalking, kidnapping, mind control, discussions of transphobia, transphobic speech, victim blaming, breakups, loss of consciousness (Note: If you're concerned about triggers, this chapter is skippable. It only discusses what happened between Remy and Roman and later Logan and Roman. Stay safe.)  
Word Count: 7603

_-4 years ago-_

Roman sat down at the bar with a heavy sigh. He rested his elbows on the table and grabbed a fistful of hair in each hand. Roman blinked several times, enjoying the pain of overloading his senses, and stared down at the bar table.

For a few minutes, all he did was stare at the stained wood below him.

A finger tapped twice in front of him, and Roman snapped his head up. He met the kind eyes of the bartender, an elderly woman who had a warm red smile and aged eyes. The bar light did little for her already pale skin, making her appear white as a ghost, but it also made the hoop earrings around her ears glow like halos.

“Hi sweetie,” she said in a soft voice, “you doing okay?”

Roman put on his fake bravado, easily falling into the same character he played for the past four years.

“Why, never better, young maiden,” he answered.

The woman laughed through her nose and shook her head. She stared into his eyes, obviously searching to see if he hit his limit. “Flattery won’t get you anywhere in these parts, mister. You getting anything to drink?”

“I’m still deciding,” Roman answered. 

“Alright, fine, I’ll give you a moment, sweetheart,” the woman said and walked away. She turned her attention to another young woman who paid her tab and escorted her date out.

Roman sighed and checked his pocket. He had just enough for a light drink, maybe a glass of wine. When he looked back up, the woman had returned.

“So, what’cha want?”

“Perhaps just a glass of Merlot,” Roman requested.

“Just a glass of wine? What’s the occasion if you don’t mind me asking?”

“I’m graduating from college tomorrow.”

“Well, congratulations on your new found debt.”

Roman snorted through his nose. The woman walked to the back, grabbed Roman’s selected wine, and poured a glass. She handed it over to Roman, who swirled it around several times before actually taking a sip, and walked away to help another customer.

The bitter taste brought goosebumps to Roman’s skin. He hated wine. The bitter liquid burned his throat as he somehow swallowed it and left a horrible aftertaste in his mouth. Roman leaned on the counter heavily again and held his head up with the palm of his hand.

Green eyes scanned the bar. It was a rather cozy place with pictures of various people on the wall, an occupied pool area, and an old fashioned jukebox resting in the corner. From what he heard, it used to be a diner from the 50s, but the owner passed it on to his daughter, who turned it into a bar. Its doors opened to anyone as a safe space and it quickly grew a reputation as one of the friendliest bars in the state. 

One of the women at the pool table aimed her stick at the last ball. The woman behind her grabbed her hand and slowly helped her aim. They hit the ball as one, and it went into the right side’s corner pocket. The girl jumped up and down, slung her arms around the other woman’s neck, and gave her a passionate kiss on the lips.

Roman took another sip of wine. 

In the corner with the jukebox, an elderly couple danced to an older slow song. Their gray hair shimmered in the low light, and for a moment, the only thing that seemed to matter there were the two older men who made it through it all.

Roman took another sip of wine. 

In a booth, a group of friends toasted each other, the person in the center wearing a party hat and rather rosy cheeks. They all were pressed shoulder to shoulder, some with an arm around the other, and laughed and carried on having a grand old time in each other’s company.

Roman took another sip of wine. 

A new couple took the place of the previous couple who sat next to Roman, both hands locked together and eyes practically glued to each other. They spoke rather loudly as they sat on the stools, and Roman overheard how it was their tenth anniversary and they were still as madly in love as the first day they came together.

Roman took another sip of wine.

Surprisingly enough, Roman managed to finish the glass. He slid it across the wood and rubbed his bare arms.

“You all done, sweetheart?” the bartender asked.

“Yes, I believe it’s time I get going,” Roman answered.

She studied him, her lips drawn in a tight line, and she leaned in close. “Look, I know it’s none of my business, but whatever is on your mind, I’m sure it’ll get better.”

Roman stupidly blinked. The woman chuckled. She winked and started to leave.

“Wait, aren’t you going to give me the bill?” Roman asked.

“Someone already paid it for you.”

Roman’s heart pounded. He opened his mouth to ask who, but she already disappeared from earshot. Roman closed his mouth and furrowed his brow. Who would pay for his drink, and why didn’t they at least come over to say hello?

A man in a black leather jacket sat down on Roman’s other side. His brown undercut supported an evergreen pillow of spiked hair on his head. He wore dark sunglasses that completely sealed his eyes from view, and Roman watched him with curiosity.

The man said nothing at first. He merely stared straight ahead. Something in Roman’s gut told him this man kept watching him, but if he did, it was out of the corner of his eye. 

After a long stretch of silence between him, the man finally opened his mouth to speak.

“I hate bars,” he mumbled. “Hate all the noise, hate all the people, but it’s the only decent place to get a good drink.”

He turned his head to Roman, waiting for a reply of some sort. Roman’s body stiffened. The man smirked, his unlit cigarette hanging loosely from his teeth.

“I assume so,” Roman replied.

The man took the cigarette from his lips and put it into a box in his pocket. He waved the bartender over.

“Evening, Brucie,” he said.

“Hello there, sweetheart. The usual?”

“Eh, I’ll have what he’s having.”

Roman stilled as both the man and the bartender stared expectantly. Part of him screamed that it was time for him to leave, that this man wasn’t to be trusted. However, Roman eagerly ignored that part of him as his heart leaped into the stranger’s lap already.

“Um, just another glass of wine,” Roman answered.

“Two glasses coming up,” the bartender informed.

A pregnant pause settled between the two men, and Roman tapped his fingers on the wood. His heart fluttered a mile a minute. The man beside him kept grinning, and each time Roman caught it, his mind melted away more and more.

“Hey, the name’s Anton, babe,” he said.

“Oh, I’m Roman.”

“Roman, what a gorgeous name.”

Heat rose to Roman’s face, and he glowed with pride. His nerves fell away piece by piece, though he’d blame it on the alcohol later. He turned in his seat so his knees almost touched Anton’s own.

“Why, thank you. I’m named after my mother’s grandfather.”

The mention of family curdled Anton’s smile a bit, but he brought it back a second later. “Huh, interesting.”

“And may I say that Anton is a charming name as well.”

That sentiment did take away a bit of Anton’s charm. Roman wondered if he said something wrong, but Anton changed the subject before he could ask.

“So, what brings you here, babe?”

“Oh, I’m celebrating my graduation from college.”

“That’s… nice. What did you go for?”

“Theater, mostly, but I minored in Journalism.”

“Huh, that’s a combination.”

“I do admit, I’m a sucker for telling a good story.”

The bartender handed them both their drinks. Roman curled his nose, suddenly remembering how much he disliked wine, and pretended it didn’t exist. Anton, however, downed almost half the glass in one long sip. Roman watched Anton’s Adam’s apple bob up and down, a thirst growing that wine wouldn’t quench, and nibbled on the tip of his lip.

Anton released a long breath and set the half consumed wine glass down on the table with a gentle clink, barely audible above the bustle of the bar.

“Well then, how about you tell me more of your story?” he said with a grin.

Roman chuckled and shook his head. “I… don’t know. I’m not exactly proud of my story. There are too many curious ears.”

“Alright, then how about we talk about it back at your place?”

Roman’s heart quickened. Should he go? Should he turn around and never look back? This Anton was a complete stranger. He could end up on the next missing person’s list.

However, the ache in Roman’s chest drowned out all common sense. He slowly nodded his head, and Anton took his hand. The clammy skin sent shivers down Roman’s spine.

At least, if something happened, Roman could try and get his neighbors for help. At least, if something happened, he was home and not in some stranger’s house. At least, if Anton turned out to have impure intentions, he could call the police for backup.

At least, that’s what he hoped.

The bartender came back, and Anton slipped her a twenty. She sent them a coy smile and a wink, and the two of them left. The quiet of the city’s night sharply contrasted the noise in the bar. Roman felt as if he walked into a sensory deprivation tank. He couldn’t think of anything but the warm hand in his. 

Subconsciously, he started swinging their hands back and forth.

Anton turned to him, an eyebrow piqued over still too dark sunglasses, and half grinned. “What are you doing?”

“I don’t know,” Roman answered.

A deep laugh vibrated from Anton’s chest to Roman’s heart, and Roman felt like he’d explode any moment. The walk back to Roman’s apartment took forever but no time at all. Roman unlocked his front door.

Anton stepped in, stopped, and froze as he looked around.

“You live here?” Anton asked. 

The dimly lit room was only one room big. The small kitchen, if it could be called a kitchen, had a small counter with a two burner stove and a small sink. A mini fridge sat underneath. On the other side was a small bathroom with a bathtub and shower combined. Everything was a shade of white or brown or a strange combination of the two. The bedroom itself wasn’t too bad until Anton realized Roman’s bed folded into the wall.

The walls were a plain white color, with small cracks leading from the window to the ceiling. A few musical posters that had multiple signatures on them decorated the walls. An entire rack of VHS tapes sat on a bookshelf of sorts, and on top was a small television that looked like it came from the 90s. A tiny table meant for two sat across from it.

“I know it’s no castle, but it’s home,” Roman said as he pulled his varsity jacket off his shoulders. He backed up against the wall to open the tiny coat closet at the door and put it away. Anton moved aside to try and give Roman some space.

“Home? It’s a closet,” Anton mumbled. “Scratch that. I’ve lived in closets bigger than this.”

Roman wanted to comment, but he left it alone. He walked into the small bedroom and examined the movies sitting on the shelf.

“So, I know they’re really old, but I have the entire set of every Disney movie made until they stopped making VHS tapes. Do you have a favorite? I’m very partial to Cinderella.”

“Um,” Anton came to Roman’s side. He examined the list of movies, and a few he recognized. Most of them he read in fairytale books. “I guess Cinderella is fine.”

“Fantastic,” Roman said with more enthusiasm than someone with this living condition should have. Anton was waiting for some sort of rat to jump out. He was sure the wall was not moving because of the flickering light when Roman turned the light on. “I can fold down the bed if you want something more comfortable to sit on than the table chairs.”

“Nah, the table chairs are fine, babe,” Anton said and sat down. At least they didn’t threaten to break under his weight.

Roman pushed the tape inside, turned on the television, and hit play. Random white lines danced at the bottom of the screen and distracted Anton from really enjoying whatever was going on. He was more interested in how entranced Roman became, how his lips silently repeated certain lines in the movie, how he glanced over to meet Anton’s eyes, blush, and look away.

Anton had to admit. Roman was… cute, in a weird sort of way.

The movie didn’t last long, but Anton had so many questions. That was not the version of Cinderella he ever read. Where was the toe cutting? Where were the birds plucking out eyes? Where the hell did that magic grandma come from?

Roman bounced over to the television and turned off the movie. He paused and stared down at the television. A high pitched whirring noise filled the room.

“Roman!”

Anton yanked Roman away from the tiny box. He twisted his body, shielding Roman from the noise.

For a moment, their pounding hearts overshadowed the box’s loud screech.

It stopped with a small bang, and Anton held his breath. He slowly turned around. It didn’t explode? Why was it making that noise? What was it doing?

“Um,” Roman said between a stifled laugh. “Anton, you have seen a VHS player before, right?”

“No,” he answered. “Wait, what’s a VHS?”

“It’s like… it was what movies were put on before DVDs.”

“Oh. Yeah, DVDs I’ve heard of.”

“How old are you, anyway?”

“I’m 21. Wait, what’s that supposed to mean?”

Roman snorted and shook his head. He popped the VHS out of the television and put it back into its case. Anton watched him with wary eyes, and Roman sighed as he sat rather heavily on the chair across from Anton. He checked the time on his phone.

“I’m not sure if you had anything else in mind, but it is getting rather late, and I have work in the morning.”

Anton rose a brow, and he opened his mouth a bit. He let out a dry laugh and pinched the bridge of his nose.

“M’kay, babe, I think we hit a miscommunication somewhere. I didn’t come here to watch a movie with you.”

Roman’s lips pulled into a slight frown. He took a deep breath and exhaled. “I know. You said you wanted to learn more about me. But I… I don’t know if I’m-”

“It’s okay. Look, we don’t have to get personal if you don’t want to first.”

Roman breathed a sigh of relief, and he looked over to Anton with thankful eyes. 

Anton’s chest pinched a bit staring into those sorrowful eyes. Why did Roman have such a weird effect on him? It wasn’t like Roman was the first guy he did this with. He stood up and stood in front of Roman. One hand leaned on the wall behind Roman’s head, and the other gently tipped Roman’s head back.

“Did anyone tell you how gorgeous your eyes are, babe?” Anton asked.

Roman’s cheeks lit up again, and he couldn’t help the coy smile on his lips. “They may have.”

Anton slowly leaned down, and Roman’s eyelids fluttered shut. Roman’s lips were softer than anything Anton ever felt before, the faint stain of peppermint giving his tongue a breath of fresh air. Anton waited for Roman to take the kiss further, but Roman’s lips stayed securely shut. Anton pulled away, inches from Roman’s nose, and studied his expression.

“You okay?” Anton asked.

Roman’s eyes opened, his eyelashes batting like giant orange fans, and sent a sweet smile up at Anton.

“Never better,” he responded.

Anton sent a forced smile. Maybe this was Roman’s first time. Maybe he didn’t know exactly what he was doing. That would explain the innocence of that movie.

“Okay, time out,” Anton said and stood up straight. 

Roman’s eyes followed him as Anton shoved his hands into his pockets and stared down at him. His heart pinched. Did he do something wrong? He tried to send a confident smile, but it missed and only perked the corner of his lips at best.

Anton continued, “This isn’t your first time with a guy, is it?”

“Oh,” Roman’s eyes widened, “um, no. I dated back in high school. Why?”

“Just wondering,” Anton mumbled as he ran a hand through his hair.

Roman stood, meeting Anton’s nose and making the taller man look down slightly. His hand reached up and cupped Anton’s cheek, surprisingly soft and smelling of vanilla, and he stood on his tiptoes to reach Anton’s lips once again. 

This time, the kiss lasted a little longer. Roman gave Anton the permission he was looking for. It ended somewhere with Roman’s back pressed against the wall, a gentle hand in Roman’s hair tipping Roman’s head back, and Roman’s hands fisted in Anton’s jacket for support.

Anton pulled away, his lips drawn into a devilish smirk, and he purred out, “Now that’s more like it.”

It amazed him how quickly Roman turned into a panting mess under his fingertips. He’d had one night stands before, but usually, the people Anton attracted were more sturdy. Roman looked like he would break if Anton pulled away. It almost made him want to go easy on Roman. Something made Anton want to protect him with all his heart.

Anton leaned in to give Roman another kiss. Roman’s head lightly tapped against the wall once again, and Anton’s free hand started traveling down Roman’s chest. He was surprised but not to find how thin Roman was. If he lived in a place like this, a decent meal was out of the question for sure. Anton wanted to fix that.

His fingers found the bottom of Roman’s shirt, and he started to slither a hand under it. Roman’s breath hitched, and his body jolted back against the wall. His head squirmed to get free. His hands flew away from Anton’s jacket and gently pushed the intruder’s hands away. Anton pulled away quickly.

“What’s wrong?”

“I-” Roman’s eyes were wide. His lips trembled as he tried to make words, and he swallowed a few times.

Anton’s lips pulled into a frown as he studied Roman. What happened to that burning confidence? Where did he go wrong? Usually, his touch left people putty in his hands, but Roman had the opposite effect. Was he too cold? Should he have warmed them first?

Roman looked down, and his hands found their way to Anton’s shoulders. He breathed out, his breath a shuddering mess, and squeezed his eyes shut.

“I’m sorry,” Roman said, “I don’t think I’m ready for this yet.”

Anton curled his nose. “What do you mean?”

“I mean-” Roman looked back up, and Anton thought those beautiful glass eyes were going to shatter. “I mean I’m not ready yet.”

“Alright, alright, babe, calm down, it’s okay, gosh,” Anton assured, giving Roman the space he wanted. He bitterly laughed, “I thought- fuck- I thought you and I wanted the same thing.”

“Oh, don’t get me wrong. I do… I do like you, Anton. I think you’re one of the most gorgeous humans to walk the earth, but I just… I don’t know if I’m ready for anything serious right now.”

Anton studied him, and he shoved his hands into his pockets. His lips curled into a grimace, and he looked away from Roman, choosing to study a stain on the wall.

“I promise I’ll be gentle. We’ll go at your speed,” Anton replied.

“I- no. I don’t- I just-” Roman ran a hand through his hair. “I just want to take things slow, that’s all.”

“You mean,” Anton drew out his words, “like a relationship?”

Roman’s eyes met his, full of hope and something else Anton couldn’t pinpoint. That smile returned, a lot softer and less confident. Those inhumanly green eyes studied Anton’s every move, and even in the horrible lighting, his skin seemed to glow, like Roman was an angel in disguise. Anton blew heavily through his lips and bitterly laughed. No wonder he felt like Roman was different from the rest of them. Roman was nothing like the other one night stands he had. He was looking for something deeper, something Anton wasn’t sure he could give. 

But maybe, just maybe, this was a challenge he could take. After all, the best prizes were worth the patience of winning, right?

“Alright,” Anton said at last. “We’ll take it slow. I’ll wait forever if I have to.”

Roman’s heart lit up, and his smile returned full blast. “Thank you.”

“Hey, no problem, angel.”

Roman’s eyes widened at the nickname, and his cheeks returned to that rosy color once again. Anton walked closer, watching Roman for any signs of movement, and leaned in close again.

“I-” Roman started, but Anton pressed his lips up against Roman’s for a quick kiss. He pulled back, stunning Roman into silence, and grinned.

“I’ll try again tomorrow, angel,” Anton purred.

Roman watched as Anton walked away from the conversation. He pulled out a cigarette from the box in his pocket, and he glanced over his shoulder at Roman before he left the apartment. That devilish smirk flashed teeth before Anton exited the apartment.

Roman slid his back down the wall. His heart pounded as sweat rose to his brow. What just happened? Were they dating now? Were they just friends? What was Roman to Anton? 

Too many questions filled his mind. He checked his phone, noting the time, and decided these were questions to ask in the morning.

After all, this wasn’t the last time he’d see Anton, so he could wait a bit to get his answers.

–

The first year of their relationship went smooth, like any other. Anton would come over every night, the two of them would sit and talk, and then Anton would ask if Roman was ready.

Ready for a first date.

Ready for a relationship.

Ready for a heated make out session.

Ready to move forward.

Each time, Roman lost more and more of himself in Anton. And each time, Anton would find new ways to break into his heart. It was soft like a pillow after a hard day at work. It was rough like the pounding waves of a storm. It was slow like sap dripping from tree bark. It was quick like a freight train. 

Roman never knew exactly which Anton he’d see every day, but the surprise brought excitement to Roman’s life that he dearly missed.

“I could take you away from this place,” Anton promised. “I could give you a mansion. I could make sure you never work a day in your life again. Anything you want, I’ll give it to you. Just say the word.”

But Roman never could find the word.

As much as he loved Anton, and he did, something wasn’t right. Something wasn’t the same. A spark in Roman’s chest failed to light, and no matter how many times Roman flicked the starter, it fizzled out every time.

Obviously, that flame still belonged to someone else. It wasn’t Roman’s to light.

Was he leading Anton on? Was he being fair? He loved Anton with all his heart, but he never could find the will to move their partnership into anything stronger than a simple date.

A knock sounded on Roman’s door. Roman stood from his bed, smoothed out his pajamas, and wondered who was coming over at one in the morning.

He opened the door and shouldn’t have been shocked to see Anton, but he was.

“Hello, angel,” Anton greeted. He stepped in and gave Roman a peck on the cheek. Roman smiled and closed the door behind him. Anton wrapped an arm around Roman, pulling him close and practically sweeping him off his feet. He rested Roman down on his bed and sat beside him.

“So,” Roman started, but Anton kissed him once again to silence him. These surprises stopped charming him long ago, but Anton still popped them on him without permission. It wasn’t that Roman was annoyed, but it started to feel more possessive instead of passionate.

Anton pulled away again, and he ran a hand through Roman’s long hair. “You are the hottest man alive, I swear.”

It should’ve brought that all too familiar banter Roman loved, but he couldn’t find the strength in him to return the gesture.

Anton brought himself in for another kiss, but Roman stopped him with a gentle hand to his chest, right on Anton’s heart. Somehow it didn’t beat as fast as Roman’s own.

“Something wrong, angel?” Anton asked.

“I need to talk to you about… about why I haven’t said yes yet,” Roman said.

“Yeah, yeah, I know. You said you’re not ready yet. Didn’t I tell you I’ll wait forever if I have to?”

A fond smile lit Roman’s lips, and he sighed. “I know, and I’m so grateful for it, but…”

“But?” Anton struggled to keep the smile on his face.

“But I don’t know if I’ll ever be ready.”

“Angel cakes, listen-”

“No, Anton, I need you to listen.” For once. “I need you to understand that I'm… I still haven’t made amends with my last relationship, and I think it’s working on me more than I’d care to admit.”

“Who do I have to kill?”

Roman started to laugh, but Anton’s face was dead serious. Roman’s laughter died on his lips.

“You don’t have to kill anyone,” Roman answered, still keeping his playful tone.

“Then what do I do? How do I fix it?” Anton snapped.

Roman blinked slowly. “You can’t fix it, Anton. This is my mess to sort out.”

Anton ran a hand through his hair. “What do you mean I can’t fix it? Obviously, this is bothering you. I told you I’d make sure you never suffer a day in your life, and if this person is bothering you-”

“It’s more like… something that I.. did.” Roman’s voice grew soft, quiet, barely above a whisper like a secret he was hesitant to tell. Anton stayed silent for once in his life.

“Did you kill someone?”

“No,” Roman said with a soft laugh. He tried to find the right words to say. “His name was Logan, and he was the love of my life. We met in middle school when he moved to my school. He was quiet, shy, and didn’t talk to anyone but the books he read. Everyone pretty much avoided him, and I don’t think it bothered him.”

“Sounds like a nerdy loser.”

“Oh, he was, but there was something about him that entranced me. Logan was a hidden chaotic force that no one dared to mess with. He stood up for people who were being picked on, often getting into fights with people twice his size and surprisingly winning. He grew a reputation as a bad boy quickly, and I must admit, I was more than infatuated with him.”

“So, did you two ever get together?”

“I, yes, as friends at first. Logan and I didn’t officially speak until we had detention together, the first of many. We somehow became best friends, and I found myself trusting Logan a lot more than I should’ve.”

“Did he hurt you?”

“Goodness, no! Logan was always gentle with me. He… he trusted me with a secret he never told another soul about, and I… strangely accepted him for it. He was more special than anyone I’d ever met before.”

Anton tried to keep the heat in his stomach in check, but he found it harder and harder the more Roman romanticized this Logan person. He would remove Logan from the picture, if not for his sake for Roman’s. Obviously, this Logan was still playing with Roman’s affection, and that wasn’t going to fly much longer.

“I’m not following, angel. If he didn’t hurt you, and you’re still… feeling something for him, what happened?”

Roman played with his fingers and sighed through his nose. “I made a mistake.”

Anton pieced the puzzle together, and his eyebrows raised. “So, wait, you hurt him?”

Roman slowly nodded his head, and Anton’s interest returned tenfold. He couldn’t picture his perfect angel doing anything wrong, so to hear that he somehow hurt another person brought a new character development that Anton didn’t know he needed.

“Alright, girl, details,” Anton said, very much wishing he had some tea to sip.

However, Roman was not as excited to tell the story. He sighed through his nose and started to blink rather fast.

“I… we did start to date. Two years, actually. We got together our sophomore year, and I mean, everyone in the school expected it, and thanks to Logan’s reputation, everyone pretty much left us alone. And I… sort of proposed to him our senior year.”

Anton started to laugh. “You? Mr. Take-it-Slow?”

“Surprising, I know. But he, strangely enough, turned me down, saying he had too much he wanted to do in life and didn’t want to tie me down. I got rather mad, I must admit. I couldn’t understand why someone who loved me so much wouldn’t get married to me.”

“So, let me guess, you called him a time-wasting fuckwad and dumped his ass, right?”

“I- no- what?”

“Nothing, nevermind. Continue.”

Roman blinked a few times before he explained, “He also told me that he wasn’t being totally honest with me, that there was another secret that he hadn’t told me that was vital to our relationship. At first, I thought he was cheating on me. However, he assured me that I was the only one in his life and the only one he ever thought of continuing his life with.”

That sick feeling in Anton’s gut burned once again. He ignored it and allowed Roman to continue his story.

“He told me that he… he wasn't… he was a boy but not by birth, and I… and I was stupid. Ignorant. I was angry he rejected me, and I took it out on Logan in the worst way. I accused him of leading me on, of lying about being a boy, about only wanting to get in my pants and try to turn me straight. And I… I just left. I left him, and I never turned back. And what was worse, I spread across the whole school why I broke up with him. I was a complete and utter asshole to him, and I… I can’t think of anything but that moment whenever you ask to take our relationship further.”

“Look, angel, if you think a vag is gonna pop out of my pants, I can prove to you I’ve been a boy my whole life.”

“It’s not that. I'm… I feel… guilty.”

“Guilty? Because you were a little bit of a dick? Honey, please, I could tell you some stories. That’s tame compared to some of the shit I’ve seen.”

“But that doesn’t make it right.”

“Look, angel, I’m not saying you’re some sort of saint. I’m saying you’re human. You were angry, and you had every right to be angry. He lied to you. He deserved everything he got.”

“No, he didn’t. He was scared to tell me because he was afraid of how I’d react, and I reacted just how he thought I was going to react.”

“So, apologize if you feel that shitty about it.”

“Don’t you think I’ve tried? He won’t hear any of it. In fact, he has completely shut me out of his life. I don’t know where he is or what he’s doing. I can’t ever take back those words or ask for an apology, and Logan doesn’t want one. He just… wants me to leave him alone.”

Anton studied Roman, and a growl surfaced from his throat. How dare this Logan ruin Roman’s happiness. He deserved nothing short of the world. Anton stood and marched over to the door. 

“Wait, where are you going?" 

"I’m going to find him, and I’m going to make him accept your apology.”

“But I have no idea where he is.”

“I have ways of finding people.”

“Even if you did, you can’t just make someone accept an apology!" 

"Sure you can. There are ways to make people believe stuff.”

Roman stood up and grabbed Anton’s wrist. Anton whipped his head around, and Roman waited for him to lash out and push him off, but he just stared with a sneer.

“Don’t hurt him.”

“If he comes willingly I won’t have to.”

“Anton!”

Roman wished he could see Anton’s eyes behind those thick glasses. He knew they were off limits, but eyes told so much about a person. Perhaps that’s why Roman had such doubt. He couldn’t see into Anton’s soul. 

Maybe Anton was not as good a person as he thought.

“Roman,” Anton’s voice came out like an exhausted father scolding his child, “Let me help you.”

“I don’t…. I don’t want your help. Not like this.”

Anton studied Roman for a moment in silence. He leaned down, brushed a piece of frazzled hair from Roman’s forehead, placed a kiss on the exposed skin, and sighed through his nose.

“Alright, angel, for you. I won’t hurt him.”

–

Anton disappeared from Roman’s life as quickly as he left the apartment. After 3 months of silence, Roman started to worry that Anton had abandoned him too. It did sting, but it didn’t devastate him. Maybe it was because of how Logan refused to talk to him. Maybe it was because his father told him to never come home again. Maybe it was because Virgil couldn’t sneak out of the house to visit his older brother anymore.

Maybe Roman was used to being ignored.

A knock sounded at Roman’s window. Roman’s head perked up, and he walked over to the laced window. He drew the curtain and a sharp breath at the same time.

“Anton,” Roman gasped. He slid the window open. “What- what did you do?”

Slack in Anton’s arms was a young man- no, not just any young man. That black hair, that blue tie, that horrible fashion sense, that person Roman would recognize anywhere.

That was Logan.

“I told you I’d find him,” Anton said. He started climbing through the window, and Roman was stuck between shoving him back out and helping him back in. In the end, he stayed frozen in place, his mouth agape.

“How?”

“Oh, it wasn’t hard, angel. All I had to do was get public records of your graduating class and find out what Logan’s last name was. My boss did the rest.”

“Your boss?” Roman repeated. He scanned Logan head to toe. Besides being unconscious in Anton’s arms, nothing looked out of place. It was as if he simply fell asleep and Anton carried him here.

“Yeah. They’re pretty good at tracking people down.” Anton set Logan down on the bed. “He should wake up in a few minutes. I didn’t hit him too hard.”

“I thought I told you not to hurt him.”

“I didn’t.”

“Last time I knew, hitting counted as hurting.”

Anton sighed, and his shoulders visibly relaxed. He shoved his hands in his pockets and stared down at the floor. The uncharacteristic unease in his posture froze Roman’s anger in its tracks.

“Angel, baby, I… I have something I need to get off my chest.” A sad smile curled onto his lips as he glanced up at Roman. “Ya know how Logan kept a big secret from you? Well, I’ve been keeping my own.”

Roman took two steps backward. “What, are you going to tell me you have ties to the mafia or something?”

Anton sighed and laughed darkly in the back of his throat. “Not exactly.”

For the first time, Anton reached up to pinch the sides of his glasses. He slipped them off of his face. Roman counted the freckles hiding under closed eyes. Anton refused to look at him. Still, removing the sunglass barrier was a step Roman didn’t anticipate.

“I’m a deviant,” Anton explained. “I can put people to sleep.”

Anton’s eyes fluttered open, revealing golden irises. They swirled around like golden mist, hypnotizing Roman into holding his breath. Anton cupped his hands, and a pile of yellow dust formed in his palms.

“So,” Roman breathed out, “you’re literally the Sandman?”

“Sandman… catchy, but so not my style.”

“So are you, like, a superhero or something?”

“I’m no hero, Ro. Just someone trying to even the playing field a little.”

Roman opened his mouth to comment, but Logan stirred on the bed. Both of their attention turned to Logan, and Roman’s heart pounded in his chest.

Logan squinted, sat up, and took in his surroundings. His jaw opened more and more as he took in every detail, at least it did, until he caught Roman’s eyes and completely froze.

“What,” Logan’s voice barely whispered. His attention dashed between Anton and Roman.

“Good morning, starshine,” Anton greeted. “You sleep okay?”

“What is going on?”

Roman opened his mouth to speak, but Anton interrupted, “You’re here because someone owes someone an apology.”

“Anton!”

“And what, pray tell, is that apology about?”

Anton’s eyes narrowed. “For breaking Roman’s heart.”

Logan’s eyebrows slowly drifted down toward his glasses, his lips pulled into a tight confused line. “I did not break Roman’s heart.”

“Yes, you did,” Anton snapped back. “All he wants is for you to accept his apology. Is that too much to ask for?”

“Anton, please,” Roman whispered. He hurried over and put a hand on Anton’s shoulder, trying to redirect Anton’s attention back to him. “This is a… kind gesture, but I don’t need Logan’s acceptance that badly.”

“And who said I was going to accept it to begin with,” Logan added on. 

Anton curled his nose and let out a low growl, but Roman’s hand kept him in place. He glanced back over his shoulder.

“Well, angel, I didn’t drag his unconscious body halfway through the city for you to just stand there and make excuses for him. Apologize already.”

Roman stiffened as Anton and Logan’s eyes both stared at him. His heart pounded in his chest, and sweat started forming on his brow. He never got stage fright, but he was sure this is what it felt like.

“Um, well,” Roman said as he wrung his hands together. He chuckled nervously. “I had so many years to think about this, and I can’t come up with a single word.”

“I always was better at you with improvisational word battles.”

“Says you!”

“I do believe I hold the rap battle trophy, not you.”

“Hey!” Anton snapped with his voice and fingers. “Apologies now, reminiscing later.”

A silence held all voices hostage. Roman opened and closed his mouth several times to speak, but he couldn’t find the words to say. Not now. Not in this setting. Not with Anton staring at him like that. Not with Logan sitting in his apartment against his will.

“I-” Roman started- “I truly regret how I treated you, Logan, especially during our last week of schooling. You didn’t deserve any of it, and I… overreacted a tad bit.”

“A tad bit? Roman, you do realize that my reputation amongst our classmates never recovered from that one bad decision?”

“I know! And I’m so, so sorry. If I could take it back, if I could travel back in time and stop myself from doing something so stupid, I would in a heartbeat. I never thought I’d ever hurt you like that, Logan, and I could slap myself for doing so. You were never anything but kind to me. You risked your life and stood up to my father, you got us through schooling, and you stopped me from making one of the biggest mistakes I probably would’ve ever made. And now,” Roman’s voice lowered, “now none of that matters, because I was too blinded by my anger to realize what I was truly giving up. You were always more to me than just a partner, Logan. You were my best friend, and I… I cannot blame you for turning your loyalty on me, but I… please understand that I regret every day what I’ve done, and that the decision has haunted me for my entire life. And I’m… sorry. Truly and deeply forever more sorry.”

Logan listened. He never took his eyes off Roman. He never scoffed, never made a disapproving face, never showed any pity. Instead, he watched him with a guarded expression and gripped his fists into the bed beneath his palms.

Anton’s head drifted between Logan and Roman, waiting for the next piece on the chessboard to move.

“Well?” Anton asked as he folded his hands, “what do you have to say to that, Logan?”

“I have to say that Roman is more of a sentimental fool than I took him for.”

Roman let out a strained laugh, and he shook his head. Anton tried to wrap his head around what exactly that meant, but if Roman laughed, it couldn’t have been bad, right?

“So, do you forgive him?” Anton asked.

Logan’s half baked smile slipped from his face, and he swallowed rather hard. The still air between them thickened into a choking silence.

“One does not simply forgive what he did to me.”

Anton growled in frustration and gripped his hair in both fists. He marched over to Logan, leaned in close, and slammed his hand against the wall. The wall might’ve cracked under his pressure, but Logan did not.

“Why the fuck not? He bled his heart out to you, and you just… don’t forgive him? What is wrong with you?”

“Nothing,” Logan replied. “I acknowledge Roman is sorry. I do not doubt that Roman regrets everything he ever said and did. However, that knowledge does not grant him entitlement to my trust and forgiveness.”

“Look, I got a lot riding on you forgiving him, and I swear to every God I don’t believe in that if you don’t forgive him right now, I will force it out of you.”

Logan set his jaw and growled out, “I’d like to see you try.”

“Anton, this isn’t necessary,” Roman said as he stopped behind Anton.

“It is. He’s a roadblock, and I’m going to get rid of him.”

The yellow colors in Anton’s eyes started to swirl faster. Logan’s eyebrows furrowed until he soon relaxed all facial features. Roman’s jaw dropped bit by bit as he watched Logan become a lifeless doll on his bed.

“That’s it,” Anton whispered. “Relax Logan. Listen to my voice. Now, tell Roman that you forgive him.”

“I forgive you,” Logan’s voice droned out. For someone who was already monotone, this new voice of him reached peak flatness. It was haunting, eerie, and so very not Logan.

“There, you see!” Anton said as he stood up, a proud grin on his face. “That wasn’t so hard, babe.”

Logan groaned, and he put a hand to his head. He blinked several times down at the floor.

“Alright, the show’s over,” Roman snapped. “Anton, you take Logan home right now. You put him back in his apartment, and I want you to stay as far away from us as you can.”

“What?” Anton said through a weak laugh. “Roman, Angel cakes, I don’t get it-”

“There was nothing okay about what you just did! Anton, you- you- you mind controlled him into forgiving me.”

“So?”

“So? So?! That wasn’t how I wanted Logan to forgive me at all. I want to earn it back, not force it from him.”

“God, you’re so high maintenance. What else do I have to do to get you over this?”

“I told you before, I don’t want your help! In fact, I don’t want your help ever again. Anton, we’re through.”

Anton blinked as if Roman slapped him. His eyebrows hung high on his face, his golden eyes stuck to his once golden boy. After a few seconds, all the surprise melted away into pure rage. He backed Roman up against the wall, pressed his palms against Roman’s shoulders, and slammed him against it.

Roman cried out in surprise, his head banging off the wall. His hands clasped onto Anton’s wrists, trying to push him away, but Anton wouldn’t ease up.

“You don’t mean that,” Anton said in a dangerously low voice.

Roman’s lips quivered. He swallowed hard, trying to clear the lump forming in his throat, and squeaked out a strained breath. His eyes flickered to Logan, begging for help, but whatever spell Anton put on him hadn’t worn off yet.

“Angel, I love you,” Anton whispered. “I have since the day I met you. I’ve done everything for you. I’d give up everything. For you. Only you. Don’t throw that away for someone who doesn’t even care about you anymore. Stay with me.”

Roman searched deep inside himself for a voice. Anton’s gaze softened, and Roman wondered if his eyes always sparkled like that when he wore his sunglasses. They took his breath away. They made his heart flutter. They were so beautiful, so hypnotizing, that Roman wanted nothing more than to fall into them.

So he did.


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone recovers from Roman's story in their own way. Meanwhile, Thomas is witnessing some disturbing news of his own coming to light.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Warnings: missing memories, kidnapping mentions, threats of losing a job, quitting, guns, life threats, assisted suicide, minor character death, loss of consciousness, discussions about human trafficking, eating  
Word Count: 4669

“So you did?” Logan repeated. His head slightly rose from its position in his palm.

Roman continued to stare down at the floor, his head buried in his hands and refusing to look up at anyone. However, he did give the slightest head nod.

“So I did,” Roman droned out.

Virgil shifted uncomfortably at his side. Roman had long ago pinned him against the side of the couch and his body, but Virgil didn’t have the heart to ask him to move. He promised Roman he’d be there for him, after all. He just didn’t realize it meant nearly on top of him.

“Oh, Roman,” Patton said through the loose fingers over his mouth. His glassy eyes focused on Roman and blinked the pain in his heart away. “What… what happened?”

Roman gave the bitterest laugh, and he choked out, “That’s the best part, Pawtson. I don’t know.”

“You don’t know?” Logan repeated and rose a brow. “You mean, as in your memory is being suppressed in your subconscious due to the trauma of-”

“No, I mean, I really don’t know,” Roman interrupted. “One minute I was staring at An-Remy in my apartment, and the next I was looking at this freckled kid with bright green eyes and red hair.”

Logan recalled the person who gave Deceit their tea, Jack their name was, and drew a breath. He concluded, “So, you were at Deceit’s mansion?”

“I… guess so?” Roman looked up. His normally bright eyes were dampened with tears and irritated with pain. “Wait, that kid was Deceit?”

“No… at least I don’t think so,” Logan answered. “I met someone who matched your description the other night while I went to Deceit’s manor. Their name, I believe, was Jack.”

“That… sounds familiar,” Roman said. “If it wasn’t for them, I probably wouldn’t have escaped.”

“Escaped?” Patton repeated. His hand went from his mouth to clasped in the other, as if restraining himself. “Roman, you’re telling me Remy held you hostage?”

Roman hesitated before he continued, “I don’t know what he did to me. Like I said, one minute I was in my apartment, and the next I woke up in that strange house. And what was worse, it wasn’t summer anymore. It was the dead of winter. It’s like I fell asleep for six months and was awoken by true love’s kiss.”

Logan’s breathing hitched. He spoke slowly, “That’s why I found you outside in shorts and a t-shirt in the cold.”

“Yeah, I… that Jack kid said I had to hurry if I wanted to escape, because Remy wasn’t at home at the moment. I couldn’t go home to my apartment. Remy knew where I lived. I couldn’t go home to my parents-” he caught Virgil tense out of the corner of his eye- “because dad said to never come home. So I just… curled up outside of a building and hoped I didn’t freeze to death. I was so lost and confused. I didn’t know what to do.” A sad smile appeared on Roman’s lips as he continued, “And then you showed up, Logan, and literally saved me.”

Logan took his glasses off to rub his eyes. He knew he did Roman a service that day, but he didn’t realize just how much of a service that was. Roman wouldn’t tell him why he was nearly frozen in the cold that night, and Logan didn’t pry. He assumed it was due to Roman’s lack of skills living on his own, but now… now he regretted thinking anything bad of him.

“So that dream I had was not a dream,” Logan said. “I did show up to your apartment that night. That’s why Remy’s voice sounded familiar when I met him. I heard it before.”

Roman nodded his head. “And I’m so sorry that he did that to you, Logan. It was all my fault.”

“Nonsense. You didn’t ask Remy to do anything to us. He acted on his own.”

“But if I didn’t tell him about us-”

“With the way he behaved, I’m sure I was not the only one he would hurt to get to you. Suppose you went home instead of living in your apartment. Who’s to say he wouldn’t bring harm to your family if they objected to your union?”

The thought of Virgil anywhere near Remy closed Roman’s throat. He turned his head to Virgil, a terrified look in his eyes as his lips parted.

“Don’t worry,” Virgil quickly clarified, “I have no idea who this Remy guy is. I just know he’s a piece of shit.”

“How could they let that happen?” Patton spoke up from his chair. “Did they know? Did they let Remy keep you like that?”

“Who?”

“Deceit! Cassie! Everyone in that house!” Patton threw his hands up in the air. “How could they just let Remy treat you like that?”

“I’m unsure if they knew,” Roman said carefully. “I didn’t meet anyone in the mansion but Jack.”

“There’s no evidence that supports Deceit knew what was going on, but it’s highly unlikely Roman arrived at the mansion without him knowing.”

“Then we’re just gonna have to go ask him,” Patton said as he stood up.

“Patton,” Virgil said as he stood, the disappearing warmth from Roman’s side stiffening his joints, “as much as I would love for you to beat the everloving stuffing out of Remy, it’s also 3 in the morning. You need to sleep.”

Patton opened his mouth to argue, but Logan interrupted, “I agree. I would like to be present for the conversation, and I’m barely hanging onto consciousness as it is. We shall confront them in the morning.”

“But-”

“Roman’s safe,” Virgil said, “Remy doesn’t know where he is.” At least, he didn’t think so. “Roman will be okay. You don’t need to go avenge anyone right now.”

Patton finally deflated and flopped back down on his seat. He looked over to read Roman’s expression.

Roman put on a charming smile before speaking, “Don’t worry. I’ll survive the night.”

“And I don’t think I’m getting any sleep anyway, so if something happens, I’ll be the first to let you know,” Virgil grumbled.

“Oh no, you’re getting sleep,” Patton scolded.

Virgil’s lips quirked. “You expect me to sleep after all this?”

“I… good point. Okay, kiddo, just make sure you take a nap later or something, okay?”

“Will do. Ro, you can take my bed.”

Roman, who was both daunted by and loved the idea of sleep, nodded his head. He followed Virgil into his room and shut the door behind them.

Patton sighed and rubbed his hands over his eyes. “I can’t believe it.”

Logan turned to him, his lips holding a neutral frown. He rubbed the back of his neck. He could say ‘I told you so.’ He could reprimand Patton for being so trusting with someone he didn’t know. However, now was not the time. He could do that later.

“There may be a possible explanation,” Logan explained, “but it’s most likely Deceit has been aware of Remy’s activities from the start. We won’t know until we confront him tomorrow.”

“I know, but,” Patton hugged his arms. “I trusted Remy.”

Logan sighed through his nose. “I know.”

“How could he?” Patton lamented. “How could he do that to Roman? Why? I don’t understand. He knows what it’s like to be held against his will, so why would he do that to Roman?”

Logan rose a brow, but he didn’t comment. He was too exhausted to get into Remy’s moral compass tonight. As it was, he thought about curling up on the couch and passing out right now.

“Go get some rest, Patton. We’ll worry about this in the morning when our cognitive functions are at their prime.”

“Yeah, I guess,” Patton said in a monotonous voice. He stood up from the couch. “Wait, Logan, where are you going to sleep?”

“I’m quite comfortable on the couch-”

“Oh no. You didn’t let me take the couch when I slept over in your house. You don’t get the couch at mine. Go sleep in my room.”

“Patton-”

“Please?”

Logan sighed and stood up from the couch. “If you insist.”

A satisfied smile spread across Patton’s face. He guided Logan into his room and walked to his closet.

“You want any pajamas to sleep in?’

"No, it’s fine, Patton.”

“Alright, just remember your binder.”

“I haven’t been wearing it all day, but thank you for your concern.”

Patton smiled and didn’t comment. He walked over to his door and slowly started to close it. “Goodnight, Logan.”

“Sleep well, Patton.”

Patton closed his door with a gentle click. He sighed through his nose and saw Virgil sitting at the kitchen table, his fingers folded and forehead resting against them. Patton approached him slowly, making sure he was audibly shuffling his feet so he didn’t startle Virgil with his sudden presence.

“Hey, Virge.” Virgil’s head snapped up as Patton spoke, “anything you want to get off your chest?”

Virgil sighed roughly through his nose and shook his head. He growled, “I can’t believe it. I can’t believe that- that- absolute jerkwad found Roman.”

“I know. It’s my fault. If I knew who Remy was-”

“Don’t blame yourself for this, Pat. It’s not exactly a story Roman openly shares anyway. The only reason I found out is because he slipped when we were having a few drinks together.” Patton pouted, cushioned his cheeks in his hands, and sighed through his nose. Virgil continued, “You gonna be okay?”

“I guess so,” Patton mumbled.

“Look, just because you trusted a bad person doesn’t make you a bad person. You know that, right?”

“I… still don’t know what to think about Remy. We worked together-” the comment stiffened all Virgil’s muscles- “and he was so kind. He was helping people. If it wasn’t for him, there’d be powered people being used and sold in human trafficking rings. But then… then I found out he forced the leader to k- well he- um- he took care of the person who ran the ring in a kinda shady way, and I didn’t think anything of it, but now I don’t know, especially with what he did to Roman.”

“Personally, I wouldn’t trust him. One good thing doesn’t make someone a good person, just like one bad thing doesn’t make someone a bad person.”

Patton sighed through his nose. “I just need to know why.”

“And you’ll find out, but right now, get some sleep, alright? You’re not doing yourself any favors by worrying over this. Trust me.”

“But what about you? You need sleep too.”

“Eh, I’ve fallen behind on commissions.”

“Virgil.”

“I’ll be fine, Pat. All I’ve been doing since the accident was sleeping anyway.”

Patton pursed his lips. Virgil sent him a half grin, and Patton smiled back. Patton stood from the table, grabbed one of his blankets from the back of the couch, and snuggled down.

“Goodnight, Virge.”

“Night, Pat.”

–

Thomas adjusted his tie as he stared at himself in the mirror. He sighed through his nose. Today was the day. If he could get this story through, maybe things could start to change.

A knock sounded on his door, and Thomas turned around with a smile on his face.

“Oh, Mr. Banks. How are you this morning?”

“Fine,” he answered. He did that nervous shuffle with his feet when he wanted to talk about something serious, and Thomas’s heart dropped. “Thomas, I need you to reconsider covering the events from the-”

“I’m not dropping the story.”

“But you realize what this will do to our reputation. Our job is to remain unbiased.”

“Unbiased? To the facts?”

“We don’t know if everyone in that building was a deviant.”

“Yes, we do. I have a reliable source that the people being trafficked were indeed powered. Ask any of the people who were arrested! They’ll tell you.”

His boss sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. “You really want to start a race war?”

“With all due respect, sir, I’m not starting it. I’m just letting people know it’s already happening.”

“Thomas, you’re a brilliant reporter. The people love you. Don’t tarnish your reputation by getting political.”

Thomas had more he wanted to say, but he simply exhaled his frustration through his nose. He turned back to the mirror and sat down at his chair. “I’m reporting on the story, and that’s final.”

“Not here you’re not.”

Thomas froze. He stared at his boss’s reflection in the mirror, noting the wrinkle in his brow and the stern upper lip.

Mr. Banks sighed and looked down at the ground. He continued, “If you want to talk about it, you’ll have to report it somewhere else.”

Thomas’s throat closed up. He practiced his breathing the best he could and squeezed his knees with his hands. Breathe. His throat eased up enough for him to let out a long sigh, and he turned back around to face his boss. The man couldn’t even look him in the eye as he let him go.

“I guess I will,” Thomas said slowly. He slowly rose from his spot and approached his boss. “I quit.”

“What?” Mr. Banks flinched. “Thomas, think about what you’re saying.”

“I am,” Thomas replied in a calm voice.

“You’re giving up your career for deviants?”

Thomas was a few feet away from him now, his brown eyes staring into his boss’s soul, searching for a conscience. He replied, “Someone who was powered saved my life. I’m not about to turn my back on them because someone’s reputation is more important.”

Thomas handed over his badge to get in the building and walked past his boss. He only made it halfway through the hall before his boss called out his name. Thomas stopped dead in his tracks and turned to face him.

“I’m not changing my mind.”

“I can’t let you run that story.”

“I don’t think that’s your choice to make any-”

Thomas blinked as he stared down the barrel of a gun. His whole body stiffened. He looked back at Mr. Bank’s face, an unreadable expression staring back at him.

“You don’t understand, Thomas. I can’t let you run that story,” he repeated, “and unfortunately if that means getting rid of you, then so be it.”

“Why?” Thomas tried to keep his voice even, but it shook.

Mr. Banks stared back at him, and his hand started to tremble. Water lined his eyes. “Please, Thomas, you’re a good man. Don’t make me do this. Tell me you’re not going to run the story.”

A shadow moved behind Mr. Banks. Thomas wanted to call out to them, but the click of his boss’s gun snapped his jaw shut.

“Thomas…”

“I,” Thomas swallowed rather thickly. He locked onto his boss’s eye and tried to get his throat to respond. “I can’t do that.”

Mr. Banks sighed. His index finger squeezed the trigger, and Thomas squeezed his eyes shut. Thomas’s whole body tensed as he waited for the telltale bang of his life ending.

There was a bang, but it wasn’t from Mr. Bank’s gun.

Thomas cracked his eyes open. He caught sight of Mr. Banks pinned against the wall by his neck, eyes wide, and his shooting hand clasped firmly in the hand of someone else.

“Remy,” Thomas breathed a sigh of relief. He almost lost his balance.

Remy didn’t turn to acknowledge Thomas at all. He glared into Mr. Bank’s eyes with the fury of a thousand scorned mothers. He lifted his sunglasses, his eyes swirling faster and faster.

“Listen here,” Remy growled, “you’re going to take that gun, you’re gonna put it in your mouth, and you’re gonna blow your brains all across this wall.”

“What?” Thomas’s voice cracked. “Remy, no!”

Mr. Bank’s hand started to move on its own. Remy kept his attention stuck to Mr. Banks, not looking away or acknowledging Thomas’s presence.

“Remy!”

Thomas found the strength to lunge forward. The gun connected with Mr. Bank’s mouth. Remy’s eyes flashed gold.

“Remy, stop!”

The bang and blood splatter drowned out Thomas’s scream.

Remy backed up, his whole front covered in red. He slid his sunglasses back on.

“I was afraid he’d try something like this,” Remy growled. “Conventionals are all the same… disgusting.”

“Why did you do that?”

“He was going to shoot you, Thomas.”

“But you didn’t have to make him kill himself!”

“Look, babe, sometimes it’s kill or be killed. Would you rather me wearing your brains right now instead of his?”

Two security officers raced down the hall. One of them Thomas recognized, but the other one he never met before.

“Thomas, what happened?” Jim, the security guard he did recognize, asked. He took in the sight of Mr. Bank’s broken body on the ground and recoiled.

“I was afraid this would happen,” the other guard said. Jim turned his head to them. The other guard flashed a badge. “Detective Evan Ceit. We’ve been tracking Mr. Banks for some time now. He must’ve realized we caught up to him.”

“I’m afraid I’m not following,” Jim said, “And who’s that?”

“Detective Sam Leap. He and I have been trying to figure out who has been involved in that human trafficking ring that was stopped the other week. We had a trail leading to Mr. Banks, but apparently he decided to make the trail run cold.”

“Wait, are you telling me that Mr. Banks was involved in a human trafficking ring?” Jim asked.

“Sort of. He was bribed to not report anything on it so people wouldn’t know the truth. That’s why he was pinning poor Thomas here, I’m guessing,” Remy- Detective Sam apparently- informed.

“I’ll call 911,” Jim stated.

“Why? I’m pretty sure he’s like, already dead there, babe,” Remy said with a laugh.

“As much as your assistance is appreciated, we’ll take it from here,” the other security guard added.

Jim’s eyes shifted between the two of them. He reached down for his walkie talkie, and Remy blew sleep powder at him from the palm of his hand. The guard coughed, sighed, and fell backward onto his back.

“And you couldn’t do that with him?” Thomas asked pointing at his boss.

“He’s different,” Remy answered. “Poor Jim was innocent.”

The awake security guard’s appearance wobbled as they shifted to their normal self. They examined Mr. Banks’s body and hummed.

“You know, though it is a shame, this could be the opportunity I needed,” Deceit said.

“What do you mean?”

“I’ve been looking for a way to spread information about deviant hardships for years, but I never thought taking over the state’s number one news source as an idea. And with Mr. Banks out of the way, I could easily impersonate him and do it without question.”

Thomas’s lips floundered for a moment. “People are going to figure it out. You don’t know anything about him.”

“Say he had a run in with a life or death situation,” Deceit remarked, “that tends to change people. And now, because of it, he’s obsessed with deviant rights. Besides, who’s to say there’s not more people on the crew against us than just him.”

Thomas eyed them carefully. He could recall several coworkers that weren’t okay with deviants, but he definitely didn’t want them to end up dead. Would they kill them? They certainly didn’t think twice with his boss.

“Deceit, I can keep being your in. I can keep spreading information for you. You don’t need to do this.” You didn’t need to do any of this. “Just stay as far away from the news center as you can.”

Remy picked up Mr. Banks’s lifeless body, and Deceit started to change again.

Deceit eyed Thomas carefully and responded, “Whether I like it or not, I’m involved now. We’re at least going to have to have people believe Mr. Banks is going on an extended retirement if I’m not going to take the head role, and who knows who will take his place. It could be someone even more corrupt than him.”

Thomas looked down at his hands as he played with his fingers. “Did he really… work with the human traffickers?”

Deceit sighed, and they looked off to the side. Their appearance fully mirrored Mr. Banks, and they looked back at Thomas with sympathy. “I know it’s hard to believe anything like that from someone you grew to trust, but I assure you, Thomas, he was not an innocent man. In fact, he allowed someone here to get abducted by the ring themselves.”

Thomas’s eyebrows furrowed, but then shot up to his hairline. His heart leaped into his throat.

“W-who?”

“Don’t worry about it, babe. Let’s just get you home and cleaned up,” Remy said.

“But the newscast. I can’t. And tell me, please! I have friends-”

“Whoa, Thomas, babe, like, chill out or something. You can’t report the news like this, can you?”

“And besides,” Deceit added on, “from what you just saw, I wouldn’t be surprised if you went into shock. It’s not like you get to see people you trust killed before your very eyes on a daily basis.”

Thomas looked between the two of them. He tried to think of some way to argue, but he came up empty handed. Why weren’t more people coming to investigate? Where was everyone? Should he go anywhere with the two of them after what he just saw? Did he even have a choice at this rate?

“Go with Remy,” Deceit ordered. “I’ll take care of things here. I promise.”

Thomas swallowed hard. With a slow nod, he followed Remy down the unusually cold and silent halls of the newsroom. He tried to avoid Mr. Bank’s limp body being shoved into a garbage bag to avoid suspicion. He wondered if the security cameras recorded everything that happened. Would someone come looking for him? Would they truly be able to get away with murder? And since he was going with Remy, did that make him an accomplice?

Thomas’s heart began to pound. Deceit said someone at the news center got involved with the trader rings. Shaky hands slipped into his pocket as he pulled up a familiar contact and held the phone to his ear.

“Joan? Hey, it’s Thomas… no, no, everything’s fine. Just wanted to make sure you’re okay. Hey, where are you right now?” Thomas breathed a sigh of relief. “Alright, like I said, I just wanted to make sure you were okay.” He paused. “Goodness gracious, Joan, it’s almost time to start the news. I’ll call you back soon.”

Thomas sighed and ran a hand through his hair. He hoped Deceit knew what they were doing. He took one last look at the news building and followed Remy into his car.

–

Thomas wrapped the blanket tighter around his shoulders as he put his hot chocolate down on the table. He sent a rather grateful smile to Cassie, who sat across from him on the other couch.

“Really, this isn’t necessary,” Thomas said.

“Oh, nonsense,” Cassie objected. ‘It’s no trouble at all. You’ve had a rough morning.“

Thomas recalled the events and shuddered. No matter how many times he tried to blink it away, the image of his boss’s body on the ground haunted him. How was Deceit going to explain this? How were they going to clear their name? Wait, who was going to report the news now that Thomas wasn’t there?

Remy hopped over the couch with a bowl of popcorn in his hands and landed next to Thomas, his glasses sliding down his nose. He pushed them back up and took a deep breath. With a long sigh, he said, "Boy, it’s been forever since I watched the news.”

“I don’t know if there will be anything to watch,” Thomas mumbled.

“Oh, don’t worry, babe. Deceit’s got it all figured out.”

“Deceit’s got a lot of things all figured out, don’t they?”

Remy’s grin widened. “Oh, they definitely have a lot of puzzle pieces. Whether those pieces all fit or not is debatable.”

Thomas chose to figure out that comment later. The news logo appeared on the screen. Thomas stared back at his own face, and he blinked the weirdness away. It wasn’t the first time Deceit impersonated him, but it was the first time he watched it happen.

“Good morning. I’m Thomas Sanders, and welcome to the 8 o’clock news,” Deceit- not Thomas- started. They started talking about small events that Thomas was told to cover, from a fundraiser down the street to the 100th birthday of their oldest citizen. Thomas’s heart ached. He wished he was there delivering the speech instead.

Deceit’s- Thomas’s face grew rather serious for the next story. “More details are being discovered concerning a human traffic ring that was headed in our very city. According to new sources, deviants were being trafficked for their abilities. This isn’t the first ring that was busted. In the past seven years, more than 20 rings have been discovered within the United States alone. With major politicians being involved, such as Senator Mitchel Idis and Governer Haley Oswald, it looks like nothing will be done to help deviants trapped in these horrible conditions.”

Thomas’s jaw dropped as Deceit continued the story. Remy passed a bowl of popcorn over to Thomas, and he gave a lopsided grin.

“No, thank you,” Thomas mumbled. He didn’t feel like eating after hearing that.

“Suit yourself,” Remy mumbled as he popped a few pieces into his mouth.

Thomas watched Remy out of the corner of his eye. How could someone be so happy hearing the news cover something so awful?

“So, how many rings did you help bust up?” Thomas asked.

“Oh, I was the first bust, babe.”

Thomas’s head turned to Remy, but he held up a hand. “Not now. I’m listening.”

Thomas quirked a brow, and he turned his attention back to the screen.

“-appears to be gathering a new team of deviants to try and right the wrongs being committed against our city. These heroes are saying no to the mistreatment of their kind. Among these deviants are famous heroes Palpitation and Intuition, who were involved in the bust that happened earlier this month, along with several other deviants who have been freed from the very prisons they’re aiming to dismantle.”

“Are they really?” Thomas asked. “Wait, who else is helping?”

“Me, bitch.” He caught Cassie shift out of the corner of his eye. “Oh, and maybe a few other people who don’t do the superhero thing.”

“And you really think a small team of heroes is going to fix by themselves?”

“I’d do it alone if I had to. I’ll do whatever it takes to get rid of those godawful torture houses.”

Remy’s smile slipped into a scowl. He shoved a fist full of popcorn into his mouth. The scratch of the kernels were nothing compared to what he felt.

Remy stood and handed the bowl of finished popcorn to Cassie. She gladly took it, and he put his hands into his pocket as he walked away.

“I’m going to pick up Deceit, babes. Duces.”

“Be careful,” Cassie called after him.

Remy flashed a thumbs up over his shoulder. He traveled down into the garage, started the car, and sped down the road towards the news center.

As Remy drove, he drew a little comfort imagining Mr. Banks’s dead face as he tossed him into the bag. He never wanted to see that man’s face again, even if it did age since Remy saw it at the young age of five. He could sleep easy now, knowing that no more deviants would fall victim to Mr. Banks’s promise of a better life.

Remy was going to make sure no one ever had to suffer through those rings ever again. He’d stop at nothing. He’d lie, he’d kill, he’d use every ounce of power until he couldn’t stand anymore. Remy made that vow five years ago.

Whatever it took, he was going to win.


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Logan tries out Patton's super speed, and it goes as well as you think it would. Virgil runs into his own problems while trying to do laundry.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Warnings: food mentions, eating, mentions of prior abuse, mentions of mind control, mild injury, anxiety, abduction, forced captivity, threats of violence  
Word Count: 5579

Virgil’s hand glided over the page as he laid careful dark lines on the paper. His tongue stuck out to the side in concentration. A bead of sweat dripped down his brow, and he paused to wipe it away with his hoodie sleeve. Who turned up the heat in here? He contemplated shrugging off his jacket, but he decided against it.

A glance at the clock told him it was almost six in the morning. Virgil sighed and stood up from his spot on the counter. He looked over to the couch.

Patton lay curled up in a ball, his hair a mess and face barely peeking out of the fuzzy blanket he was under. Usually by now, Patton had stirred to make himself breakfast, but he must’ve been more tired last night than he thought.

Virgil half smiled. Should he make him something for breakfast? Patton was always making sure he was taken care of. The least he could do was return the favor sometime. Problem was, Virgil only knew how to make toast, and even then he had a habit of burning it.

The sound of a door opening caught Virgil’s attention. Logan popped out of Patton’s room, looked around, and locked eyes with Virgil.

“Good morning,” he greeted.

“Hey,” Virgil answered back.

Logan glanced over at the couch and stood still. His mind either raced too fast for Virgil to process or Logan blanked out for a moment. Knowing Logan, though, it was probably the first one. Logan sighed and walked over to the island, his gaze lingering a little longer on Patton before he sat and turned his attention to Virgil.

“Have you been awake all night?” Logan asked.

“Yeah, I guess,” Virgil responded. “I’m used to pulling all nighters though. College and stuff.”

Logan hummed and nodded his head. The coffee pot started trickling out the last of its contents, and Virgil walked to the cabinet to grab a mug.

“Hey, you want coffee?” Virgil asked.

Logan wrinkled his nose. “I’m assuming you don’t have tea.”

“No.”

“Then I suppose a small cup of coffee would suffice.”

“Alright, but just know we don’t have creamer.”

“I’m assuming you have sugar.”

“That I know we have.”

“Sugar will do fine.”

Virgil set two mugs down on the table and filled both of them rather high. Logan reached for his mug of coffee and grabbed the sugar bowl. He started spooning in teaspoons of sugar. His eyes landed on the third mug, which had some sort of brown liquid in it and a sticky note with “NOT COFFEE” on the front. Next to it were several paintbrushes and a set of watercolors.

“Are you going to college for art?” Logan asked.

“Uh, yeah, kinda,” Virgil answered. “It’s my minor.”

“And your major?”

Virgil’s cheeks tinted red, and he looked down at the floor. His lips barely moved, and Logan had to strain his ears. He still wasn’t sure if he heard Virgil right.

“I’m sorry, did you just say Sociology?”

Virgil nodded his head, his cheeks tingling red. He took a long sip of his coffee and looked down at his artwork. Logan followed his gaze down to a picture of a penciled in flower and a fairy sitting on the petals. He blinked. It certainly wasn’t something he expected Virgil to paint.

“Dad wanted me to do something other than art. At first, I wasn’t allowed to study art at all, but I told him I’ll make Sociology my major if he let art be my minor. Strangely enough, he agreed. I don’t know why, but he did.”

“He treats you well, doesn’t he?”

Virgil snorted. “Yeah, I guess. I learned my lesson when Roman came out to him, so he doesn’t know anything about me. Now I’m the-” he put up finger quotes- “good child.”

Logan hummed and put a spoonful of sugar in his coffee. He swirled it around with a teaspoon and tapped it lightly on the side of the mug. Only now did he notice the mug had a horrible cat pun about positivity on it, and his bitterness drowned out the coffee flavor.

Virgil took a long drink of his coffee and wiped more sweat off his brow. He picked up the ink he worked with and started gliding it across the paper once again. Logan watched the movements, almost hypnotized by their smoothness. He forgot about his coffee on the table and simply turned off his brain for a moment to watch Virgil work.

“So, how long have you been painting?” Logan asked.

Virgil shrugged. “A year or two I guess. The only time I got to paint was at school because dad would throw a fit if he saw me drawing anything. I’ll never forget him screaming at my poor middle school teacher when she suggested I take more art classes.”

Logan sighed and nodded his head. He took a sip of coffee.

Virgil continued, “I still have the sketchbook from middle school in my room. Some of the pictures are crap, but there are some pages in there I wouldn’t trade for the world.”

“Like?”

“Like a caricature I did of my math teacher once, and there’s a page that is nothing but eyes. I could probably do something with that later. And there’s one page that Patton and I did together with a bunch of cats. He’s… not a good artist, but it was fun.”

“Ah yes, art was never Patton’s strong suit.”

“Never stopped him from trying though.” A light smile lit Virgil’s lips. “It’s kinda inspiring, you know, if I cared enough to have hope in this world.”

Logan’s eyes drifted to Patton still asleep on the couch, and he sighed through his nose. “I must hand it to him. Even with all the hardships he faced in life, he still managed to come out gentle on the other side.”

Virgil rubbed his neck, smearing a bit of ink on his pale skin, and sighed. “He’s a better person than I am.”

“Nonsense. You’ve done the best you could with what you had.”

“Did I though?” Virgil curled his lip. “Both Patton and I had shitty parents, but he turned out nice and I turned out to be an asshole.”

“Similar situations do not guarantee the same outcome in children, as Nature VS Nurture has been a serious debate amongst child development experts for years. Two siblings can grow up in the same familial setting but have completely different temperaments. Take you and Roman, for example. It’s undeniable that Roman is more outgoing than you and craves more attention. You prefer to remain in solitude and refuse to let anyone in.”

“Yeah, I guess,” Virgil snorted, “but I guess it’s because I didn’t need anyone else. But Roman? He needed everyone all the time. He’s so clingy it’s annoying. Not… many people stuck around. You were the first real friend I think Roman ever had.”

“Falsehood. Roman had many friends growing up.”

“Did he though? He never really talked to them like you.”

Logan pulled his lips into a thin line, and he took another sip of coffee. He was sure Roman had friends. He was always surrounded by popular kids. He always had people talking to him. He always had a crowd to belong to.

But come to think of it, Roman never did hang out with them after school hours. He always asked if Logan was free to do things. Logan assumed it was because of a developing crush, but maybe Roman didn’t have anyone to rely on. He couldn’t recall him having a birthday party or going to the parties of others. He always made up some excuse for prior engagements.

And considering Roman kept Remy a secret from Logan for the past year, it was possible that he had other secrets hidden from him. Logan always assumed Roman was an open book, bragging about his life and accomplishments to anyone who would lend an ear, but it seemed that very much wasn’t the case. Roman let others know what he wanted them to know. He never did face his insecurities or vulnerabilities. Instead, he put up a curtain to distract everyone with his dazzling performance while the props behind the stage were an absolute mess.

Patton stirred on the couch, and both heads turned to him. He cracked open his eyes, blinked twice, and sat up with a stretch.

“Good morning,” he said through his yawn. His sleepy smile warmed them faster than the coffee.

“Sup, Pat?” Virgil greeted as he took a sip of his coffee.

“How are you feeling this morning?” Logan questioned.

Patton pet the fuzzy blanket and smacked his lips as he tried to get his tongue to work. “Okay, I guess.”

“Are you kidding? He snored most of the night.” Virgil said with a grin. “Why do you think I was up all night?”

Patton frowned at the comment, but he sighed through his nose instead of scolding Virgil for his terrible sleeping pattern. He swung his legs out from under the blanket and scratched a hand through his hair.

“Huh, it’s warm in here this morning,” Patton commented.

“Isn’t it? God, I thought it was just me,” Virgil answered.

Patton walked over to the toaster, popped in two slices of bread, and pulled out a plate from the top cabinet. Virgil snorted and took a sip of his coffee.

“So, you guys still going to face this Deceit guy this morning?” Virgil asked. “What about the library?”

“Dr. Pincani has been informed that our absence will extend for a little while longer. He has been rather understanding and patient with us.”

“That’s because he knows,” Patton said. Both heads snapped over to him, one with curiosity and the other with fear. Patton took a crunchy bite of his toast. “What?”

“Dr. Picani knows?” Logan repeated.

“Well, yeah. I told him a long time ago, even before Roman. He kinda… cornered me while I was reading.”

Logan took a moment to contemplate whether that pun was intentional or not and asked, “Why?”

“Well, he saw all the bruises on me for one, and he said that if I didn’t tell him what was going on, he was going to question Virgil in his next session about if he knew where they came from.”

“Patton, you know he wouldn’t do that.”

Patton blinked. “Wait, really?”

“Yes really!” Logan snapped. Virgil couldn’t help but snort. “From the day that we met him, he said he wouldn’t get involved in our personal lives unless we told him.”

“He sure has a way of getting the truth out of people though,” Virgil mumbled into his coffee cup. Logan glared, and Virgil rolled his eyes.

Patton’s eyes glanced between the two of them, and he wrung his hands together nervously. “Gosh, I’m sorry, Logan. I just thought-”

“It’s fine,” Logan hurried to say as he scrubbed a hand under his glasses. “I trust him. He literally keeps secrets for a living, unless someone’s life is endangered, and therefore we do not have to worry about our existence getting out.”

“I’m surprised you kept it from him at all,” Virgil commented.

“Oh, it wasn’t easy, kiddo.”

“So, what, you just told him that you were running to the bathroom and thought he’d believe you?”

Logan sighed and rested his elbows on the table. Come to think of it, some of the excuses they came up with were obvious deceptions. Lying was not his or Patton’s strong suit, and Dr. Picani was an intelligent man well versed in the patterns and behaviors of others. Surely he’d figure it out on his own if Patton didn’t tell him.

And Logan did want Patton to trust others more, so if that meant telling his secret identity to people close to him, Logan would fold and let him.

Patton put in another two slices of toast for breakfast, and he leaned against the counter while he waited.

“So, Logan, how are we going to get to Deceit’s mansion?” Patton asked. “Are we gonna run for it?”

“I’m afraid I’m not following.”

“Was that a travel pu-”

“Absolutely not… intentional.”

Patton smiled. “Well, I was just thinking, now that we found out you can borrow the powers of others, I thought maybe you’d like to borrow mine and try it out.”

Virgil blinked. “Wait, you can what?”

Logan sighed. “While I was confronting Deceit last night, we discovered that I was able to transform into… someone else after making skin contact with them, as they can change their appearance at will.”

“Wait, wait, wait, this Deceit guy can shapeshift? How do you even know what he looks like? How do you know you’re talking to him?”

“We don’t,” Logan replied. “That’s why I’ve been cautious around him. He has only shown us what he wants us to see, and unlike Roman, I know nothing else about him other than he has interacted with Patton and myself multiple times. I’m not even sure if his name is the one I was given.”

“Wait, what’s his name?” Patton asked.

“I believe he said it was Evan Wagner.”

Patton hummed and scratched his head. “Nope, don’t think the name rings a bell.” Nevermind that he was disappointed that Evan Wagner was nothing close to being a pen name for Deceit.

“Alright so question number two,” Virgil said, “If you don’t trust him, why do you keep coming back to him? Why not just tell him to buzz off?”

“I don’t believe we can simply stop at this rate,” Logan informed. “He knows too much about us. He knows where I live, and no doubt he knows where Patton lives. He knows where we work, and he has been rather persuasive when it comes to gaining our loyalty, neither pushing for our participation nor giving us much of a choice.”

“Deceit did tell us though if we didn’t want to be a part of this, he would let us go,” Patton said.

“Telling someone something and meaning it are two different things, Pat,” Virgil argued.

“Well, when we go talk to Deceit about Remy today, we can just say we don’t want to be involved in it anymore and see how it goes,” Patton offered.

Logan blinked, “Patton, are you sure?”

“Sure I’m sure. If Deceit has our best interests at heart, he’d let us leave without a problem, right?”

“That’s a very simplified answer to a complicated problem,” Logan mumbled.

“But if we don’t try, we’ll never know. I mean, I’ve said yes to everything Deceit has ever asked me to do.”

“I know, and that’s what worries me.”

“What, are you afraid he’s going to control me and make me do what he wants?”

“I’m saying, Patton, that there are other ways to grant people’s cooperation than controlling them as Remy does.” Logan glanced over at Virgil, and Virgil bristled.

“He wouldn’t,” Patton said with fake confidence; his worried look to Virgil didn’t go unnoticed.

“Wouldn’t he?” Logan asked and quirked a brow.

“Ooookay let’s save the overthinking to me,” Virgil said as he pushed his empty coffee cup away. “Just… do what you think is right, Pat. That usually gets you where you want to go.”

“Yeah, but I’m not always right, kiddo.”

“I know, but… if you don’t make a mistake, you’re not really a hero, right?” Virgil prompted. Patton furrowed his brows, and Logan’s slowly rose to his hairline. Virgil hesitated before he added on, “I mean, look at Iron Man.”

“Not every superhero is Iron Man.”

“So I’ve been told. But you get what I’m saying, right?”

“I guess,” Patton mumbled.

Virgil looked to Logan for help, who merely shrugged in response. He growled, “Whatever. I’m going downstairs to get some laundry done. You two… you two be careful, okay?”

“Will do,” Patton chirped with a smile. Logan gave an acknowledging head nod, and Virgil gathered up his painting supplies. He dumped the “not coffee” down the sink and put the actual coffee cup in the dishwasher.

With one final glance back, he disappeared into his room and closed the door behind him.

Patton turned his attention to Logan, who took another sip of coffee. He noticed Logan’s bitter face, and he held out his hand to take the cup. Logan gladly handed it over. Patton dumped the last bit of coffee and undiluted sugar down the sink.

“Thank you,” Logan said with a grateful sigh.

“I’m surprised you took a cup. You hate coffee.”

“Well, desperate times lead to desperate measures.”

“So,” Patton held out a hand, and Logan eyed it with curiosity, “you wanna try?”

“Patton, it’s broad daylight. Surely someone will see-”

“Please? I just want to see for myself.”

Logan sighed and removed one of his gloves. He stretched his fingers in the warm air and hesitantly reached out for Patton’s hand. Patton closed the gap and clasped onto Logan’s fingers.

Logan’s heart rate sped up. He took a sharp breath in, and a million thoughts buzzed through his head. It wasn’t an unusual feeling. Every time he touched Patton, he felt this, but this time he knew why.

“You okay?”

“I’m fine. Just processing.”

“Alright, how about… I race you to the parking lot and back?”

“We’re on the third floor, Patton.”

“So? Take the stairs.”

Logan blinked, and Patton sped away, the door to the apartment banging against the wall from the force. Logan stood. He dug his heels into the ground. He took a deep breath.

Logan took a step.

Time slowed down like someone hit the pause button. The clock took forever to tick the seconds away.

Logan took another step.

The beep of the dishwasher sounded like an alarm. The ground moved under Logan’s feet. For a moment, he wondered if it would crack under the pressure.

Logan took another step.

And another.

And another.

Soon, he was racing down the hallway. The air stung, and his eyes teared up. No wonder Patton wore goggles. His feet felt like they were on fire. The doorway to the stairs came into view. Logan’s feet slid on the wood floor as he tried to stop.

Tried.

Logan’s body fell full force into the door. It cracked in protest. His head thumped against the wood. Stars floated through the dark air. Logan’s hands clutched his forehead, which formed a slow bump. Logan’s body forced air back into his lungs as he staggered backward. He lost his balance and collapsed onto his back.

Maybe he should take a bit of a break before chasing after Patton.

The door to the stairs flew open. A scream followed a sharp pain in Logan’s leg. A blue blur sailed over his head and skidded across the wooden floor behind him. Logan clutched his pounding leg, and he rolled onto his side. He spied Patton struggling to get up across the hall.

“Patton, are you alright?” he whispered. Anything louder would split his head in two.

Patton rubbed his head and groaned. He blinked up at Logan and reached for his glasses, which flew off his face and slid a few feet away from him.

“Oh my goodness, Logan, are you okay? What happened?” Patton asked.

“I failed to slow my momentum enough to open the door,” Logan responded.

“Yeah, I did that a lot when I started to learn too. That’s why I had so many dented helmets,” Patton said. He stood up and held a hand out for Logan, but Logan didn’t take it right away. “You sure you’re okay?”

“I may have a horn to match my unicorn onesie soon, but otherwise I should be uninjured.”

“Maybe we should wait to see Deceit.”

Logan finally took Patton’s hand. His vision spun, and he learned a lot of weight on Patton, but otherwise, he was up, and that counted toward something, right? He opened his mouth to speak, but he thought he’d throw up if he did.

Patton led Logan back to the apartment and opened the door with his free hand and foot. He guided Logan over to the couch and hurried to the fridge to grab an ice pack.

“I thought you guys were leaving?” Virgil grunted as he struggled through his bedroom door with a basket of laundry.

Logan didn’t look up to acknowledge his presence. Patton finally grabbed a freezie pack and wrapped it in a towel. He rested it against Logan’s head. Logan hissed.

Virgil blinked. He set his laundry down on the floor and asked, “Wait what happened to you?”

“He tried to run through a door, but he couldn’t handle it.”

“Please, Patton, I’m in enough pain,” Logan moaned.

Virgil snorted, “Guess he couldn’t help but run with the joke.”

“Oh, Virgil, not you too.”

Patton and Virgil high fived each other. Well, more like Patton held his hand up to high five, and Virgil rolled his eyes and let Patton smack his upraised hand.

“So, you think you have a concussion now too?” Virgil asked with a smirk.

“It’s highly probable. I did hit my head rather hard.”

“Do you think we need to call the hospital?” Patton asked.

“It’s probably for the best. I have no idea if my head suffered any trauma from hitting the door.”

“Alright, could you stand up so I can carry you there?”

Logan groaned in protest but did what was asked of him. Patton scooped Logan up into his arms, Virgil’s eyes following Logan up, and hurried over to the door.

“You sure you two will be okay?” Virgil asked.

“Of course,” Patton said. “This isn’t the first time I’ve carried Logan to the hospital. Have fun with your laundry, kiddo!”

Virgil watched the two of them leave, sighed, and picked up his laundry. He wished Patton would’ve left the door open, but it closed by itself, so it wasn’t something he could help. He used his knee to hoist the basket up and get a better grip.

Slowly but surely, Virgil traveled down to the basement where the laundry was. When the elevator doors opened, a wave of heat hit him in the face. Virgil visibly recoiled. He was glad he left his hoodie upstairs, or he’d be sweating worse than usual.

The laundry room lay at the end of a long corridor. Virgil hated it. He always felt uneasy in this hallway, like some sort of demon was going to pop out of the boiler room and grab him and he’d never be heard from again. Virgil’s heart pounded as he walked closer. Almost there. His palms started to sweat. Almost there. His knees wobbled. Almost there. His throat choked him. Almost-

The door to the boiler room opened, and Virgil’s heart exploded. He screamed and threw his entire laundry basket at whatever came out. The basket sent the boiler room escapee crashing to the floor with a cry of surprise. Virgil turned around and sprinted to the elevator. He jammed his finger into the up button several times. Come on. Come on!

Virgil shouldn’t have turned around. He shouldn’t have looked. That’s how people died. That’s how the monster ended up right behind their victim.

He did anyway.

The person groaned as they slowly pushed themselves up. One of Virgil’s shirts covered their heads, and they pushed the basket off their lap.

Virgil’s stomach dropped as his heartbeat slowed. What an idiot. It was probably just the poor person who finally fixed the heating in this place. And here Virgil was attacking them. Some grateful resident.

“Hey, you okay?” He called from the other end of the hall, neither taking a step forward or back.

“Ugh,” came the reply of the person under his shirt.

The elevator dinged, and the doors slid open, but Virgil didn’t enter. Instead, he crept down the hallway.

“Look, I’m sorry,” Virgil said as he got close enough to start scooping up his clothing. “That was kinda stupid of me. It’s just that… no one comes down here, and I thought that-”

“I was some sort of monster? Don’t worry. I’m used to it,” the person mumbled back.

Virgil’s heart ached. “Sorry.”

“Nah, don’t worry, kid.”

The person pulled the shirt off of their face, and Virgil’s heart stopped. He opened his mouth to scream, but nothing came out. The person, who looked startlingly familiar, opened their eyes up wide. Virgil would remember that face anywhere. They haunted his nightmares. They burned into his soul like Mark’s hand burned into his arm at Wei Market.

Mark flew to their feet. They pushed Virgil up against the wall and pinned him with their body. Virgil tried to scream, but they covered his mouth.

“Don’t scream,” they pleaded. They looked around. “Please don’t scream. I’m not gonna hurt you.”

Virgil’s eyes were wide. Tears slipped over the side and smeared his eye makeup. Mark stared into Virgil’s eyes, a regretful expression on their face.

“Hey,” Mark spoke in a gentle tone, “I’m gonna let you go. You promise not to scream?”

Virgil stared back.

Mark slowly took their hand off of Virgil’s mouth and bit their lips. For a minute, Virgil and Mark stared at each other. Then Virgil took a breath to scream. Mark covered his mouth again and shushed him.

“I told you not to- okay, I know this looks bad, but I- oh for fuck’s sake don’t lick me!”

Virgil squirmed in their grip. He did his best to kick his feet, but nothing landed. Mark’s palm started to heat up.

“Look, I said I don’t want to hurt you, but if you keep acting like a bitch, I will.”

Virgil went limp. His eyes stayed focused on Mark’s eyes the entire time.

“Alright,” Mark said and exhaled heavily. Their breath reeked of smoke. “Alright, just… come here.”

Mark twisted to press Virgil’s back against their chest, and Virgil failed to escape. They easily drug him backward. Virgil dug his heels into the ground. Mark held firm. They pressed their back into the boiler room door and closed it with their foot. From there, they drug Virgil across the floor towards another door.

Virgil’s eyes watered. He tried everything to get loose, but Mark’s hold on him proved too tight. Mark struggled to open the second door. They wrenched it open and shoved Virgil inside. Virgil’s palms hit a shelf, it snapped, and several things crashed on top of him.

Mark stood in the doorway and watched the scene unfold. They hesitated before slamming the door shut.

Virgil heard a lock click through the clatter.

“No!” He yelled. He struggled to turn around in the dark. He tripped over several things and crashed into the door. “Open the fucking door! Let me out!”

Virgil kicked until his toes hurt. Virgil screamed his voice raw. Virgil pounded on the door with everything he had. It felt like he struggled for hours. He took a step back, noting how his foot jammed into a bucket, and yelped. He lost his balance into the shelves again. The shelf creaked but didn’t stir. At least nothing fell on him this time. He pulled the bucket off his foot and threw it against the door.

“Please,” he whispered. He wasn’t even sure if Mark was listening anymore. How did they get in the building? What were they doing here? Did they know Virgil lived here? Did they come for revenge? Why not just blow him up and get it over with?

Unless.

Unless they knew who Patton was. Unless they were using Virgil as bait. Oh, no way was Virgil being a damsel in distress. He stood up to try the door handle again.

“Hey, open the door or I’ll call the police!” Virgil threatened. He felt in his pants pocket. Oh, that’s right. He left his hoodie up in the apartment, where coincidentally his phone was. Still, Mark didn’t know that, did they? He could use that to his advantage. “Did you hear me?”

“I heard you,” came Mark’s timid reply. Broken, almost. Virgil stilled at that. It sounded like Mark was ready to cry themself.

“Well? I’m waiting!”

“Go ahead.”

Virgil paused. It didn’t sound like a threat. It sounded like a plea. What the fuck was going on? He scooted closer to the door until his knees knocked into solid wood.

“I’m on the phone now.”

“Alright.”

Virgil hesitated. He spoke, “Hey, yeah, this is Virgil Crock, and I’m at 24 East Market Street. I’m being held hostage-”

Stifled crying whispered through the door, and Virgil held his breath. He swallowed hard. He was not feeling sympathy for this person who nearly killed him and blew up Wei Market in this Chili’s tonight. He just wasn’t. He was just… curious.

“Hey,” he whispered. “You… are you crying?”

“What the fuck does it matter?” Mark asked.

Virgil paused. He sighed and gently tapped his head against the door. What was he thinking? He took a deep breath, held it, and exhaled.

“Alright, look, I don’t give a shit about you, but come on. I’m genuinely trying to have sympathy for you, which is really hard.”

“I didn’t ask for your pity.”

“Yeah, well, you’re getting it.”

Mark shifted on the other side of the door. Virgil felt the wood move under his head and snapped his head back. He held his breath. Mark’s voice was much closer the next time they spoke.

“I just want a chance. Is that too much to ask?”

“For what?”

“For a normal life. For a second chance. For anything at this rate.”

Virgil hesitated as he recalled the conversation between Mark and Dot at the store. “You… you had a rough month, huh?”

“Understatement of the century.”

“Well… I literally have nowhere to go, so let it all out.”

“Let what out?”

“Your feelings. Dude, just talk to me. What’s going on that’s so bad?”

“I’m holding you captive in a janitor’s closet, and you want to make small talk?”

“I literally have nothing else to do.”

“What about the police?”

“I… don’t worry about it. Just talk to me.”

A sigh preceded a pause. Virgil strained his ears to listen.

“Obviously I’m a deviant, so life’s been pretty shit since I can remember. I used to have a rabbit when I was little. Guess what happened? Scarred me for life. Ever since that moment, I knew I was just… not meant to have a good life. I tried. I made friends in school. I kept my secret. But my temper… my temper always drove people away.”

“I know how that feels.”

“I thought I finally got my life turned around. I found a beautiful wife, and I had two beautiful kids with her. I had a stable job. I finally thought I got my life turned around. And then they showed up.”

“They?” The other side of the door grew quiet, and Virgil swallowed hard. “You mean, the superheroes?”

“What? No. I honestly couldn’t give two shits about what Intuition and Palpitation were doing. They were… kinda giving deviants a good name, so I didn’t care. No, it was someone else who fucked up my life personally.”

“Who?”

“What does it matter? You wouldn’t know who they are. They showed up at my door, talking some nonsense about how I could be a hero too, and how I could fight for deviant rights. Load of bull that was.”

Virgil’s heart pounded in his chest. It couldn’t be. He took a shaky breath in. “Was their name… Evan?”

“Evan? No.”

“Okay, well then, how about Deceit?”

The other side of the door grew eerily quiet. Virgil’s raspy breaths filled in the silence. He put a fingernail between his teeth.

Mark’s voice grew low as they asked, “How did you know that?”

“They came after my friend too-”

“Get away from them. Run as far away as you can.”

“Why?” Virgil asked, his heart pounding.

“They’re bad news, kid. They don’t take no for an answer. They make you feel like you need to be with them to be somebody, and they trap you so you can’t escape. That’s what happened to me. That’s why my wife left me. That’s why I lost my kids. All because I said no.”

Virgil started hyperventilating. Patton was on his way to tell Deceit no, all because Virgil told him to. Patton was going to get hurt because of him.

“Mark, you have to let me out. I have to warn him.”

“Warn who?”

“My friend. The one going to see Deceit. He’s going to tell Deceit he doesn’t want to be a part of all this.”

For a while, Mark didn’t answer. “How do I know you aren’t going to turn me in?”

“Look, I’ll worry about you later. Right now, my friend is in trouble, and I need to help him. Do you want a second chance? Prove that you care about someone other than yourself.”

The door shifted. Virgil scrambled to his feet. The lock unlatched. Light streamed into the room, and Virgil squinted.

“Alright,” Mark said. Their eyes were red, and their lips were drawn into a tight line. They stepped aside.

Virgil squeezed through the cracks and hurried out of the door. He mumbled a quick “thanks” as he left the room.

Mark called out after him, “Godspeed. I hope your friend makes it out okay.”

Virgil’s chest tightened. He hoped so too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a mandatory rest stop if you're reading the whole way through! Grab a glass of water, stretch, or simply rest your eyes for a minute. You've earned it!


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Logan and Patton visit the doctors and end up getting a familiar face as their doctor, even if their sibling's face has never been revealed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Warnings: hospitals, doctors not believing patients, concussions, child abuse survivor story, alcoholism mentions  
Word Count: 5107

Logan and Patton stared at the television screen. The waiting room had mixed reactions to Thomas’s news broadcast, some whispering and others ignoring it for their magazine. Logan’s head began to hurt for a different reason.

“That’s what Thomas meant,” he mumbled. Patton turned his head, and Logan continued, “Thomas told Deceit that everyone would know what truly happened. Apparently, he was talking about what occurred a week ago.”

Patton recalled how Joan’s video was edited weirdly. Joan always kept Logan and Patton’s words intact so everyone got the true story, but Patton’s speech had been edited out, and all mentions of deviants were gone. Someone in the higher up offices must’ve wanted to cover it up. Did Thomas put himself in danger to reveal that? Patton’s heart beat slightly faster at the thought. He didn’t want Thomas to put himself in danger for him a second time.

“I don’t recall telling Deceit I would join his plight, however,” Logan added on.

Patton squeezed his lips together into a fine line. “I mean, I told him I would, but I didn’t think he’d tell everyone else about it.”

Logan rubbed his temple. His headache had lessened from the fall, but he still felt lightheaded. Perhaps that was a result of motion sickness from being carried from Patton, but he didn’t want to take any chances.

Patton shifted beside him, and his timid voice whispered, “Logan, how am I supposed to tell Deceit ‘no’ now that everyone knows?”

“You correct them on the statement. You tell them that Deceit misinterpreted your intentions, and as such, Thomas spread a false rumor about you.”

“But that’ll damage Thomas’s reputation. How are people supposed to trust him if he’s not reporting the right news?”

“I’m sure he’ll recover, Patton.”

“You’d be surprised how people can take one mistake and make it your lifelong story.”

Logan stayed quiet at that, and he adjusted his glasses. One leg casually slid over the other as he leaned back into his seat. “No, I would not, as I am one of those people.”

Patton mirrored Logan’s pose and closed his eyes. He breathed the sterile air in as deep as he could and released it through his nose. He wanted to argue, but he knew firsthand how Logan could hold a grudge against anyone for an undetermined amount of time, no matter what the original history between him and the accused was.

Eventually, Logan got called into the doctor’s office, and Patton was left alone in the waiting room. He started playing games on his phone, got bored, scrolled through news, got bored, started playing with the bead maze beside him, got bored, and eventually started trying to strike up a conversation with strangers who entered the hospital.

One stranger with a purple hearted backpack he recognized from a certain run in with a robber.

“Sorry I’m late!” She said as she rested her bag on the counter. “Jaxon was fussy again, and Lizzy couldn’t seem to calm him down.”

“It’s fine, Raven,” the receptionist at the desk answered. “Just get yourself presentable as soon as possible.”

Raven scooped her bag back up and hurried toward the door to the check up rooms just as Logan was leaving. The two of them nearly bumped into each other. 

“Oh! Excuse me,” Raven chirped, “Hey, I know you. You were the guy on the bench the other morning.”

Logan offered a soft smile and nodded his head. “I was. It’s nice to see you again, Miss Raven.”

“You too,” she said and excused herself past him. Logan watched her leave in a hurry and walked back over toward Patton. Patton stood up from his seat and straightened out his shirt.

“It appears I don’t have a concussion, miraculously. I must’ve slowed down my momentum enough to not injure anything important. However, I do have a large bruise forming on the outside of my head.”

“Are you sure, Lo? I know when I hit my head as a kid, I got a lot of concussions,” Patton informed.

Logan hesitated, and he rubbed the spot on his head again. He winced as his fingers brushed the tender area. Common symptoms of concussions were dizziness (check), headache (double check), ringing in the ears (normal as he had tinnitus, but probably check), vomiting (thankfully no check but his stomach was upset), loss of memory (no, he clearly remembered slamming into the door), loss of consciousness (did he lose consciousness for those few seconds between Patton running into him and falling to the floor, or was Patton just that fast?), slurred speech (none that he recognized), and probably others that Logan couldn’t recall. While he did trust medical professionals to do their job, human error could miss certain signs, especially if they didn’t believe you ran over 50 miles per hour.

And perhaps, if it was possible, they could request to get a second opinion from Raven, who Logan would eagerly talk to Deceit about to try and sort this whole mess out. Deceit he couldn’t trust, but someone who dropped their name unknowingly into the conversation and seemed to have a personal connection to them that wasn’t Remy? That he could trust.

“Perhaps we should get a second opinion,” Logan said.

Patton sighed. Part of him was relieved that Logan would be 100% sure that he wasn’t injured, as Patton knew first hand that doing anything with an untreated concussion was bad news, but this also meant he’d be subjected to the absolute wasteland of things to do that was the waiting room.

“And perhaps you should come with to convince the doctor that I am of sound mind and everything I’m telling them is the truth,” Logan continued. 

Patton’s smile leaped onto his face. He practically pulled Logan back up to the receptionist’s desk, who looked at them with such an unimpressed expression that Patton thought he was talking to Virgil in disguise, and cleared his throat.

“Good morning, again,” Patton chirped.

“What do you need?” the receptionist mumbled.

Patton noticed the extra large coffee sitting beside them, at this point not steaming any longer and probably lukewarm (who knew how long it was sitting there) and said, “We’d like to make an appointment.”

“When?” the receptionist asked as nails clacked on keys of their keyboard.

“Preferably as soon as possible,” Logan said, “and I’d like to request the doctor Raven Wagner.”

“Raven Wagner changed her name when she married her wife,” the receptionist informed. “She’s Raven Corby-Wagner now.”

“My apologies,” Logan corrected, “If I could get an appointment with Mrs. Raven Corby-Wagner, I would be appreciative.”

The receptionist checked her schedule and hummed. “Her earliest appointment is in thirty minutes, but because she’s late, it may be an hour before she sees you.”

“That’s fine,” Logan said, though Patton groaned beside him.

“Can I have a name?”

“Logan Allen.”

“Alright. Fill out the paperwork and I’ll notify Dr. Corby-Wagner that her 10:30 position is filled.”

“Thank you.”

Logan and Patton returned to the waiting area and settled in. Patton spoke first when they sat.

“I’m glad I have a face to the name now. I stopped Raven from getting robbed, and she was really helpful when Virgil was hurt. She’s the one who figured out he had a concussion in the first place.”

“What a coincidence. I ran into Raven in the park, and she’s the one who informed me of Deceit’s true name.”

Patton’s eyes widened as his jaw dropped. “She knows Deceit?”

“Mentioned that they were siblings, though she also believes that Deceit has passed.”

“But they’re not.”

“Exactly, and I intend to find out what really happened if I can. I wanted to confront them the night that Remy broke into my home, but I was… preoccupied with my latest self discovery.”

Patton slid down his chair and sighed heavily through his nose. He chewed on his lip as he stared up at the ceiling. “When did our lives get so complicated?”

“The moment you saw a professor getting beat up on campus and decided to do something about it.”

“I’m sorry Lo. I didn’t mean to drag you into all this.”

“Nonsense, Patton. I agreed to this of my own free will, and if given the chance, I would gladly do it all over again.”

The two of them sat in silence for a few minutes. Logan checked the clock one last time before his name was called to step into the nurse’s office. He breathed a ‘finally’ and made his way to the door, Patton following close behind him. Despite what the receptionist told them, it only took fifteen minutes to see Raven, almost 5 minutes before their appointment. Had the person beforehand canceled? It didn’t matter, as Logan and Patton were lead into yet another room to wait. They both silenced their cellphones as requested on the door, and allowed the sterile silence of the room to swallow their existence.

A knock sounded, and Raven stepped into the room. Her smile widened when she saw Logan, and she set her clipboard down on the table.

“Good morning to both of you. I’m Dr. Corby-Wagner, but I’m sure you already knew that. It’s nice to see you again.”

“And same to you, Raven,” Logan replied.

“So, is this lovely person next to you your significant other?”

“No, this is my younger cousin, Patton.”

Patton gave a wave, and Raven smiled at him.

“Well, it’s nice to meet you too, Patton. What can I do for both of you?”

“Actually, I have a rather unusual story. I visited another doctor prior, who is convinced that I am exaggerating and therefore uninjured, and I would like to get a second opinion.”

Raven’s lips downgraded to a frown, and she wrote a few notes on her clipboard. “I see. And it says here that you have hit your head off of a door and suspect you have a concussion?”

“I’ve dealt with enough concussed people that I am vaguely sure that I know what I’m talking about.”

“Alright, well, good thing I know a thing or two about concussions.” Raven grabbed a light on her desk and asked Logan to remove his glasses. After he complied, she shone both lights into his eyes and hummed. “Well, it’s hard to tell. It’s taking a long time for one eye to retract, but it is retracting. Any changes in mood, like irritability?”

“Not that I’m aware.” He looked to Patton for confirmation.

“No, I’m pretty sure Logan has been himself.”

“Alright, thank you. Just checking.” Raven clicked off her light, and she put her stethoscope into her ears.

“Raven,” Logan addressed. She hummed in response. “I’m certain you wouldn’t believe me if I told you at what speeds I ran into the door at, but I can assure you I am not exaggerating when I reached inhuman speeds.”

“And what makes you say that?” she asked.

“Because the fastest human alive is recorded at 28 miles per hour, and I’m certain I reached at least 50.”

“And you just so happen to have an odometer on your person?” she asked with a quirked eyebrow and a smirk.

Logan swallowed hard. Patton reached over, squeezed the top of his hand, and sent a reassuring head nod, granting permission.

“I’m telling you as I’m trusting you with a bit of information I do not share freely about myself.”

Raven stopped at that. Her eyes scanned Logan for any sort of indication that he was joking but found none. She dropped her stethoscope from her ears and pulled a swiveling stool to sit on. “Alright, Logan, what is it that you want to tell me?”

“I… am much like your brother, in a sense,” Logan said.

Raven stayed quiet at that. She sucked in a deep breath and allowed Logan to continue.

“When we were on that bench speaking to each other, you mentioned that your brother was able to shift his appearance at will. Other people have been born with abilities far from what the average human can do. This special mutated gene was referred to as the Deviance gene, named after Dr. Nina Deviance, a Native American geneticist who was a deviant herself, and we were called deviants in the process.”

“I’m aware,” Raven replied. “She also wrote the book “A History of Genetic Mutations”. I studied a bit of her work while I was in college, but there’s not a lot of research supporting her work.”

“I’m sure scientists are doing all they can with what they have to work with. She only got to study for 10 years before her illness took her life. Because there is so little research on deviants, it, unfortunately, leaves us with health problems that doctors are uncertain whether or not they can cure, and it also leads to our symptoms being taken lightly or not at all serious.”

“Well, I can assure you, Logan, if you tell me you have a concussion I’ll believe you.” A question sat at the tip of her lips, and her mouth floundered for a few seconds. “So… can you shapeshift like my brother? Is that why your iris is doing… that?”

“No,” Logan responded, “not unless I make skin contact with a deviant who can shapeshift at will. I can learn information through my sense of touch.”

Logan raised both his hands, revealing his white gloves. Raven studied them with curiosity. Logan took one off, the chill from the office raising goosebumps on his skin, and took a deep breath.

He continued, “Would you like me to demonstrate?”

Raven eyed him cautiously and stood from her chair. “Will I feel anything?”

Patton answered for Logan, “It might tingle a bit, but it won’t hurt you.”

Raven’s eyes drifted between Logan and Patton, and she drew her hand back for a moment, hesitating. She then reached out and wrapped her hand around Logan’s for a handshake.

Logan’s heart filled with warmth at her touch.

–

_Raven stared at herself in the mirror. She made sure her hair was pulled up into a firm bun and adjusted her flower scrubs. The door knocked behind her, and the faint sound of crying caught her attention._

_“Raven, honey, I know you’re already late for work, but he won’t stop crying for you.”_

_Raven sighed and spoke in a gentle tone, “Bring him in, Lizzy.”_

_The door opened, and a woman holding a young child- maybe a year old judging by the thick hair on his head- stepped into the room. Frustrated tears dripped from her brown eyes into her five o’clock shadow._

_Raven turned and held her hands out. Her son reached out and eagerly jumped into her arms. He sniffled twice before Raven started patting his back. She sang in a language Logan couldn’t understand at first, though if he had to guess, it sounded like German. The child instantly calmed, and Logan himself felt comforted hearing her voice. Soon, her son was fast asleep in her arms._

_Lizzy smiled with gratitude as she reached out to take the young child from Raven’s arms. She stated, “Baby, you could make the angels cry with your voice.”_

_“So I’ve been told,” Raven responded._

_Lizzy leaned in and kissed her wife, and Raven smoothed out the stray hairs on her son’s head._

_“Now, get to work before they make you get coffee for everyone again,” Lizzy said. Raven did just that, giving her wife one last kiss and exiting out the door of her home._

–

Logan returned to the present, and Raven watched him for any sort of reaction. He blinked away his daze and gave her a soft smile.

“You have a lovely singing voice,” Logan spoke.

Raven’s eyes widened, and she took a step back. “How did you know that?”

“I heard it, and your son is beautiful.”

A smile graced her lips. She nodded her head and replied, “How did you see all that?”

“I saw it from touching your hand. It’s one of my abilities.”

“That’s wonderful. And you speak German as well?”

Logan blinked in confusion. “I don’t.”

“But… Logan… we’re speaking German right now.”

“I am?” Logan wrinkled his brow. He looked over at Patton for confirmation, but Patton merely gave him a confused smile and waved. Logan turned back to Raven and continued, “I swear to you I’ve never spoken German a day in my life. Another one of my abilities is to learn skills through my touch, in this case, your ability to speak the German language.”

“My foster grandmother- we all called her bube- taught me the language. She moved here from Germany in the 1930s, thankfully, or else… the night…so scared… only three… her mother’s wedding ring…”

Logan realized his grip on the German language was disappearing, and he held up a hand to try and stop Raven from telling her bube’s life story. He spoke in a fading German accent, “I’m sorry, Raven, but my knowledge length depends on how long I make skin contact. I’ve already lost my ability to understand you.”

Raven’s voice trailed off. She returned to the English language as she said, “That’s… that’s extraordinary.”

“Thank you,” Logan responded, his voice now back to its normal accent.

“So, you absorbed someone’s ability to run super fast?” Raven’s eyes widened. “You mean… not that has to be a coincidence, but… you know… Palpitation? I mean, it might be rude to assume deviants can’t have the same abilities as others, but-”

“Yes, I do,” Logan responded, “and it was at his request that I come and see you, as he has suffered from multiple concussions in his time due to the same error that I performed.”

Raven’s smile widened, and a snicker left her lips. “Sorry, sorry, I just can’t help imagining Palpitation running smack into a door full force. It shouldn’t be funny.”

“I can assure you he brushes it off with a joke himself,” Logan responded. He sent a knowing look to Patton out of the corner of his eye, who scrunched up his face and smiled back.

“It’s a running joke,” Patton replied.

Logan blinked. “I suppose I deserved that.”

“Well if you know Palpitation, would you tell him thank you for me? I forgot with everything that happened at Wei Market.”

“You’re welcome,” Patton chirped. 

“Oh! Thank you, I… wait, I’m welcome for what?” Raven looked between the two of them, and realization started to settle in. She grabbed onto her hair and mumbled, “Oh my word, I’m in the presence of a superhero.”

“Superheroes,” Logan corrected.

“You- you two are- oh my goodness,” Raven covered her mouth.

“We are,” Logan confirmed, “and we are trusting you with this secret.”

“Oh, of course! I wouldn’t tell a soul. I’m just really honored, you know.” Raven stopped, and she turned her attention to Patton. “Wait, if you’re Palpitation, you saved me from getting robbed, and then you saved my life again at Wei Market. I don’t know how I can ever repay you.”

“By taking Logan’s concussion seriously,” Patton replied.

“Right, right, the concussion,” she said. She started performing more tests, from memory to hearing to balance. Her lips drew into a tight line the longer she tested him. Finally, she put down her notepad and said, “I think you might have a mild one, but nothing serious. You must’ve slowed yourself down enough to not do anything too damaging. However, I want you to rest for a day to be sure. No absorbing people’s knowledge or anything. We don’t want your symptoms to get worse. And that also means no hero work.”

“Understandable,” Logan replied.

She finished writing out a doctor’s note and handed it to Logan. “In case your boss gives you a problem.”

“I assure you, since my boss is a therapist, that I will have no problems, but I thank you for the foresight, and for also taking my symptoms seriously.”

Raven gave a half smile. “It’s the least I can do.”

“Actually, we are hoping for one more favor,” Logan continued. “Your sibling, Evan, do you mind talking about them a little bit with us?”

Raven’s smile dropped, and she started to swivel back and forth on her chair.

“No pressure,” Patton assured her. “It’s just… we ran into someone who could shapeshift, and we were wondering, maybe, if they could be the same person.”

Raven covered her mouth, and her eyes welled up with tears. She started to cry, alarming both Patton and Logan. Patton stood up, and he offered her a hug, but she didn’t take it. She instead calmed herself down and brushed her tears away from her eyes.

“N-no, it couldn’t be possible,” she replied, “He died in the fire. We were sure of it. And if he survived, he would’ve found me. He wouldn’t have abandoned me to that… that…” She started crying again.

“We don’t have to talk about them if it makes you uncomfortable,” Patton reminded her. “I’m sorry we brought it up.”

“No, no I- I don’t mi-mind talking about him. But- but I just- I can’t-”

“It’s okay to be upset, Raven,” Patton reminded her.

Raven started crying all over again with that, and Patton and Logan exchanged expressions. 

“Perhaps we should be on our way then,” Logan said.

“No, no, don’t go yet,” Raven objected. She stood up, grabbed some tissues from her drawer, and wiped her eyes. After taking her seat and a few calming breaths, she let out a long shuddering sigh and cleared her throat. “Fifteen years and you think I could think about him without breaking down. Okay. I think I’m okay enough to talk about him.”

“Remember, anything you don’t want to share is okay,” Patton reminded.

Raven nodded her head. She took a deep breath, and she started her story.

“Evan was older than me by a few years. I think it was 7, but I’m not sure. Ever since I met him, he’d make himself look older or younger depending on his need. I remember him shapeshifting into an adult so we could buy groceries when my mom was too sick and my dad didn’t come home for days. He was always looking out for me.”

“Sounds like a good big brother,” Logan commented.

“Oh, he was. I remember he went to a parent/teacher conference when I was failing school to speak to my teacher so I wouldn’t get in trouble. I remember him making all my lunches and doing laundry for me and making sure I got to school on time. I remember him pretending to be mom a lot. I mean, he was practically my mom, since my mom was always so sick, but I mean, he would literally be our mom when she was needed.”

Patton’s stomach dropped thinking of his next question, but he asked it anyway, “Why wasn’t your dad there for you, you know, since your mom was so sick?”

Raven’s face twisted into a scowl, “Because he was a drunk, an aggressive drunk, and he was horrible to us both, but especially Evan. He hated that Evan was a deviant. He used to take his anger out on him a lot. I think Evan took it so I didn’t have to. I tried to get him to tell the teachers, but he was worried they’d split us up and he’d never see me again. That’s why he can’t be alive. He wouldn’t rest until he found me. I know he wouldn’t.”

Raven hugged her arms, and she started to cry again. She sniffled, and Patton handed her another tissue. She gave a grateful smile and blew her nose. After wiping her tears, she gave a thank you and dumped the tissue in the trash.

Logan spoke, “I’m uncertain whether we found your brother or not, but by the odd chance we happen to find him, would you like to speak to them if they are willing?”

Raven’s eyes widened, and she chewed on her lip. “Of course. I’d give anything just to hear his voice again. And I’d want to know why. Why would he never come to see me again? Why would he abandon me?”

“I’m sure he would have a good reason,” Patton replied.

Raven nodded her head. She stood from her chair and straightened out her shirt. “Alright, I do have other appointments to attend to, and as much as I loved meeting you both, I need to get to them too.”

“Of course,” Logan said as he stood. He offered his now gloved hand out to shake hers again. “It was a pleasure to see you again.”

“And I want to see you again in 7 days just to make sure everything is alright, please,” Raven instructed.

“I’ll make sure he’s taking it easy,” Patton assured her. She sent Patton a grateful smile and opened her door. The two of them walked out of the hospital and started down the street to grab the bus back to their apartment.

“So now we may have a little bit more information on Deceit,” Logan summarized. “And if they are her brother and this isn’t some sort of misunderstanding, we may have a motive behind what Deceit has been doing.”

Patton furrowed his brows. “What do you mean?”

“I don’t wish to share my theory in case I’m wrong, but I do believe those who have been in abusive situations do not want others to share the same fate as they have, am I correct?”

“Of course not!” Patton replied. He thought more about it, and his eyes widened, “You think Deceit is taking kids who are mistreated in trader rings and adopting them. Deceit did say they didn’t want the three kids we rescued going into the system because they didn’t know how the kiddos would be treated.”

“Sounds like the theory has some proof to back it up.”

“But if Deceit is her sibling… do they know she’s alive.”

“I’m unsure, but the next time we face them, I’m certain we’re going to get as much information out about them as possible… or we tell them that we don’t want to be involved in their antics any further.”

Patton looked down at the ground as he walked. He knew there was a good reason Deceit was doing all this. They were just going about it in the wrong way, and if this was the case, maybe they could work something out where Deceit stopped tricking people to help and started asking instead. It sounded like tricking was the only way Deceit knew how to get what they wanted. 

Patton took out his cell phone and turned it on. His face went from thoughtful to fearful in a few seconds.

“Logan,” Patton said out of reflex. Logan, alerted by Patton’s scared tone, turned his head to see what upset his cousin. Patton showed him the lock screen, how there were several texts and a missed call from Virgil, and hurried to open the messages.

Did something happen? Did Remy find them? Was Roman okay? Was Virgil okay?

Patton skimmed the messages. Most of them were asking if he was there and to please answer, but the first one caught his attention. He wasn’t supposed to tell Deceit no and to come home. But… that’s what Virgil wanted, right? For Patton to do what he thought was right.

Was this Virgil texting him? Did Deceit somehow get ahold of Virgil?

“I’m calling Roman,” Logan said as he pulled out his phone. His fingers shook as he started to press in the familiar contact number.

Patton called Virgil’s number and put his phone to his ear. His heart pounded. On the third ring, Virgil picked up.

“Patton!” he yelled. Patton pulled his ear away from the phone and brought it back soon after.

“Virgil, what’s wrong?” Patton asked.

“It’s Deceit! You can’t- don’t tell him no.”

“Why? What’s wrong? What happened?”

“You know that devia- you know that powered person who attacked the store the other day? Yeah. He uh, he was in the boiler room, and-”

“Wait, what? Are you okay?”

“I’m fine, but they told me the reason they turned Wei Market into Armageddon is because Deceit ruined their life. They told Deceit they didn’t want to be a part of this, and Deceit made their whole family turn on them, and yeah, that’s the reason why they wanted to stop working for Deceit in the first place.”

“Alright, Virgil, so what-”

“Wait what?” Logan said to Patton’s side. Patton turned his head, and he noted Logan’s wide eyes and trembling lip.

“Logan?” Patton asked.

Logan didn’t acknowledge he heard Patton, and he instead glared down at the ground. He pinched the bridge of his nose.

“Alright, just get home as fast as you can. Bring Thomas as well if you so desire, but get as far away from there as you can and keep yourself safe.”

“Pat, what’s wrong?” Virgil asked.

“I’m not sure,” Patton answered.

Logan sighed and spoke again, “It’s going to be alright, Roman. I’ll come to get you if you need me to.” He paused. “I’ll be there as soon as I can then.” Logan pulled the phone from his ear. His hand traveled through his hair, and he let out a long sigh.

Patton shifted in his seat, heard Virgil call his name again, and asked Logan, “Is everything okay?”

“Apparently not. When Roman went to speak to his boss about some sort of declined article, apparently the entire news crew was unconscious in the studio. The only one he ran into was Thomas, who was heading toward his dressing room and I’m assuming well out of harm’s way.”

Patton’s lips fished for the right words to say, “You’re going to go get him?”

“Yes. If there’s one thing Roman rarely ever is, it’s afraid, and I’m very certain this was one of those times.”

“Alright. I’ll head home to Virgil, and you can go make sure Roman’s alright.” Patton stood up from his spot on the bench. Logan stared at his blank phone, his lips cast into a worried frown, and eyes blinking faster than usual. Patton continued, “Logan, it’s going to be okay.”

“Yes, of course,” Logan responded.

“Be careful, and let me and Virgil know the minute you found Roman.”

“I will.”

Patton sent a shadow of a confident smile before he took off down the road toward his apartment, leaving Logan alone and waiting for fate to arrive.


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Roman waits not so patiently for Logan to show up and ends up getting in more trouble than he bargained for.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Warnings: possessiveness, assault, pinning, bruising, victim blaming, blackmailing, non-con hugging, loss of consiousness  
Word Count: 4290

Roman paced back and forth. He stopped, stared at the door, and kept pacing. Back and forth. Back and forth. He stopped, stared at the door, and kept pacing. Back and forth. Rinse, lather, repeat.

Thomas leaned against the dresser and watched Roman move back and forth. Sweat glistened from Thomas’s forehead and down onto a slender neck. Thomas cleared a lumped throat and swallowed whatever was stuck down.

“Roman, I know you’re worried, but it’s gonna be fine. Logan will find us, and I’m sure everything will be okay.”

“That’s not what has me so upset,” Roman replied. “Didn’t you see who did all this? Don’t you know who… who would put all those people to sleep like they were in some sort of fairytale?”

Thomas could only stare. Roman continued his pacing, and Thomas walked over to him. A hand gently squeezed Roman’s shoulder, making Roman jump and turn to face Thomas.

“Roman, take a deep breath. It’s going to be fine.”

Roman let out a long sigh, and he studied Thomas’s face. His lips pulled into a thin line. “Are you okay yourself, Thomas? You’re not looking so charming yourself.”

Thomas wiped off a bit of the sweat with a trembling hand. “I’m just… tired is all.”

Roman studied Thomas’s eyes for any sort of a lie. He then pulled out his phone to check the time. If Logan was traveling from home, it would only take him 15 minutes to get here. If from the library, maybe 25. Roman could hold out that long. He’d make it. He and Thomas would both make it.

Thomas walked away, and fingers started to massage the growing pound of a stress headache. Leaning against the vanity counter for support, Thomas watched as Roman started up his back and forth dance of pacing. A phone buzzed. Thomas reached into the front left pants pocket and stared a the screen.

_Remy: Hey, I’m outside. Come meet me in the parking lot._

Thomas stared up at Roman. With him guarding the door, there was no way Thomas could slip out unnoticed.

“Tell you what, Roman. You can stay here, and I’ll wait outside for Logan-”

“No. No one’s leaving until Logan gets here,” Roman snapped.

Thomas replied, “Roman, I know you’re nervous for some reason, but goodness golly, they’re only asleep. It’s not like anyone’s dead.” Roman eyed Thomas warily. Almost untrusting. Thomas ran a hand through thick fading purple hair, sighed, and continued, “Someone’s gotta go out there and make sure whatever put them to sleep is gone, and if you’re too scared to do it, I will.”

“No,” Roman snapped. He lowered his voice, “No, I couldn’t live with myself if you risked your safety. I think I know who did it, and I know he won’t… I think I’ll be okay, so I’ll go.”

“Roman-” Thomas started, but Roman already opened the door and stepped outside. Thomas cursed under hushed breath and chased after Roman. Roman didn’t make it far down the hallway. “Roman, stop!”

Roman turned to Thomas, his shoulders stiff to stop them from shaking. He eyed Thomas up and down. “What is it?”

“I-” Thomas’s headache grew tenfold Hands clawed at hair to try and relieve pressure.

Roman ran to Thomas in seconds. “Thomas, what’s wrong? Are you alright?”

“I’m fine,” Thomas lied.

“You don’t look fine,” Roman said. Thomas’s balance wobbled, and Roman caught the news anchor in his arms. “Definitely not fine.”

“Just put me back in my room. I’ll lock the door and won’t open it for anyone but you,” Thomas panted.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah. Then you can get help or something. Just put me back.”

Roman fought with himself. If Thomas was this bad, he didn’t want to leave Thomas alone with no defense. If Remy was in the building somewhere, who knew what he’d do. On the other hand, if Thomas locked the door, there was a good chance Remy couldn’t get in. Though Roman knew first hand Remy was not above crawling into vents, it would at least slow him down until Roman could get help, or until Logan could get here.

He just had to wait for Logan. He could do this.

“Alright,” Roman said slowly. He helped Thomas stagger back to the dressing room and opened the door. Thomas seemed to perk up a bit at the prospect of being alone. Roman’s hand lingered on the door handle as he eyed Thomas over.

“You sure you’re going to be okay?” Roman asked.

“I’m sure. How about you come to check on me in about 10 minutes if it worries you that much?”

“Okay. Do you have my number in case something goes wrong?”

“Roman, I’m going to be fine. If something happens, I’ll just yell for you.”

Roman sent as confident of a smile as he could muster. He closed the door, and he heard the telltale click of the lock behind him. Roman took a deep breath and stepped out into the hall.

The fluorescent lights flickered above him. The sound of his footsteps echoed down the long corridor, and his heart pounded in his chest. The air grew cold from lack of activity, and goosebumps rose on Roman’s skin. He never saw the news building so empty before.

Out in the news studio, the crew still lay asleep in their positions. Roman stepped over a few people as he passed through the room so he wouldn’t disturb them. Of course, if shaking them to try and wake them up didn’t work, stepping on them surely wouldn’t work either. Still, he didn’t want to hurt anyone.

A loud bang sounded, and Roman jumped. It took a few seconds to realize that was just the building’s foundation settling and wasn’t anything important, but still. Roman rested against the news anchor’s desk and took a much needed breath.

“Steady, Roman,” he said to himself, “You’ll be okay. Logan’s going to come, and everything will be fine.”

Roman rubbed some warmth back into his arms. Maybe coming out here was a bad idea. Maybe he should return to Thomas’s dressing room and wait. Maybe he should’ve taken Thomas and ran when he found Thomas alone. Maybe he shouldn’t have listened to Thomas when Thomas said the police were already called to come help. Maybe he should-

Footsteps echoed down the hall, and Roman practically jumped over the news anchor desk to hide. Funny, a few weeks ago he would’ve given anything to sit behind this desk.

“Yo, babe,” a hauntingly familiar voice yelled through the studio like there weren’t 20 people sleeping on the floor. “Hey, I said I was waiting. You ready to go?”

Roman covered his mouth to stop any sort of noise. His heart pounded in his chest, and he held his breath. The footsteps stopped. Roman blinked rapidly to stop his eyes from tearing up. He hit the desk a little too hard with his back, and a pencil rolled off the desk. It banged on the floor and clattered to a halt.

The footsteps stalked closer. Roman buried the whimper in his throat and pressed his back as far into the desk as he could. He could hear Remy’s short breaths as he came closer. His heart pounded faster. Roman resisted the urge to cover his ears. If Remy caught him behind the desk, it’d be game over in more ways than one.

“Hey,” Remy called. His voice was right behind the desk. “You in here?”

No. Go away! 

The desk moved as Remy leaned against it. Roman prepared himself to run. The wood creaked under Remy’s weight.

“I’m here,” a voice called from down the hall. Roman’s eyes shot open. Who was that? At first, he thought Thomas came out of his room, but thinking it over again, that didn’t sound like Thomas. A second set of footsteps walked into the room, and by some miracle, Remy walked away.

“Holy shit, I thought you were like abducted or something. It’s so effin quiet around here,” Remy said.

There was a pause and the shuffling sound of moving fabric. A low voice spoke, “We have to get moving before someone finds us here.”

“Already on it, hun,” Remy replied.

The two of them started to walk away. Once their footsteps were far enough way, Roman thanked every deity he could think of and stepped out from behind the desk. He hurried down the hall toward Thomas’s dressing room. He hoped his echoing footsteps and rapid breathing wouldn’t alert Remy to his presence.

“Thomas,” he whisper yelled as he came to the door. He listened closely against the door. He turned the handle, surprised to find it wasn’t locked, and stepped inside. “Thomas, the coast is clear. Remy’s-”

The room was empty. Roman checked around, making sure there was no sign of Thomas anywhere.

“Gone,” Roman finished more so for his own satisfaction than anything. “Thomas? Hey, are you here?”

Roman ran into the private bathroom, down to the public bathrooms, and hurried down a few more halls. No Thomas in sight.

Roman’s heart pounded in his chest. That person who Remy was talking to… did they come from this hallway? Did they find Thomas? Was he okay? Why did he leave Thomas alone?

Roman hurried off toward the way Remy and the other person went. Every instinct in his body screamed to not go, to stay safe, but he couldn’t let Thomas be abducted by those villains. He was petrified of Remy, but he’d be damned if he let Remy capture and torture another innocent person. He’d just have to stall until help arrived.

He slammed his hands into the back door of the building and into the alley. A car door shut, and Roman snapped his attention over to it.

“Hey!” He yelled. He stormed down the stairs and took off toward the car. “Hey, stop!”

Two heads inside the car turned to him, one with panic and the other with surprise. The car door on the driver’s side opened, and Remy stepped out.

“Angel, baby, what are you doing here?” Remy asked, his grin wide.

Roman stopped a few feet away, his body refusing to go any further. He balled his hands into fists and tried to look as threatening as possible. “Let Thomas go.”

Remy blinked a few times and peeked over his sunglasses. “Excuse me?”

“You heard me. Let Thomas go.”

Remy put a hand on the car hood to lean on. A confused smirk squished his cheeks. “I honestly don’t know what you’re talking about, m’kay.”

“I’m not stupid. Thomas was in the building, you show up, and then he’s not. I know you’re not above kidnapping people-”

“Look, I have Thomas’s consent to take him whenever I want.”

“Oh, I’m sure you do.” Roman rolled his eyes.

“Angel, come on. You know me. Why would I want to take anyone who wasn’t you? I still love you.”

Roman shuddered at that. Remy stood straight up and stalked toward Roman, and Roman took several steps back. All the courage in his body left him in five seconds.

The second car door opened. Someone with a rather nasty burn scar on their face, brown hair, and heterochromatic eyes hastened to Remy’s side.

“Remy, leave him be. We have to get out of here before someone sees us.”

“You’re not going anywhere until I know where Thomas is,” Roman snapped.

The person beside Remy sighed and shook their head. “Now is not the time to play hero, Roman.” Roman pulled out his phone. “What are you doing?”

Roman hurried to take a picture of the two of them. “There. Now when the police come, I can show them your picture, and they’ll find you unless you hand Thomas over right now.”

Remy marched toward Roman, and Roman let out a yelp. He turned to run, Remy taking off full speed after him. Roman heard the other person yelling Remy’s name, but the latter refused to stop. He tried to open the door he exited out of, but it was locked from the inside. Roman darted down the street in hopes that he’d get away.

Remy tackled Roman’s waist, and the two of them sailed to the ground. Roman’s face scratched the pavement. His cheek burned. He struggled underneath Remy and tried to push him off, but Remy pinned Roman’s wrists to the ground above him.

“Get off!” Roman yelled. “He-”

Remy covered Roman’s mouth. He whispered, “Angel, please, calm down. I can explain everything.”

Roman’s free wrist tried to pull Remy’s hand off of him. He tried to bite the skin pressed against his teeth. He spat. He licked. He did anything he could to try and pry Remy off him. He snapped his head back, successfully connecting with Remy’s face. Remy cried out and grabbed his nose. With no balance, Roman easily rolled Remy off his back. Roman staggered to his feet and started to run off again.

He would’ve made it too if Remy didn’t grab his ankle. Roman again crashed into the pavement, but at least he was able to catch himself with his palms. Remy drug him backward, and Roman lost his balance. He flipped over and tried to kick Remy’s hand off him.

“Will you fucking relax, angel?” Remy yelled. He sprung forward, tackling Roman onto the ground once again, but this time pinning Roman on his back. His sunglasses fell off his face, revealing the yellow swirling irises below them. Roman started hyperventilating. Remy’s eyes swirled, and Roman squeezed his eyes shut. Remy’s voice hissed through clenched teeth, “Look at me!”

Roman growled, “Absolutely not! I won’t fall victim to your tricks again-”

Remy’s fingers squeezed Roman’s cheeks so hard Roman was sure his cheeks would bruise. Roman yelped, and Remy covered Roman’s mouth with his palm. He shushed Roman and checked to see if anyone was watching.

“Come on, Roman. Work with me here. If you’re not going to cooperate, I will hurt you. Don’t make me do that.”

“Remy, let him up!” the stranger’s voice yelled.

“Why? So he can go and tell everyone our secret and blow our covers? We’ve worked too hard for this!”

“I know, I know, but he deserves an explanation. Please, let him go.”

Roman’s cheeks grew hot, and he felt tears try to escape from behind his eyelids. Still, he refused to open his eyes and find out what was going on. He couldn’t trust Remy to abstain from using his powers on him. He didn’t know who the other person was, if they were a deviant or not, or what powers they had. Roman lost hope that he’d make it out of here alive the longer he lay pinned.

“Roman, everything is going to be fine.”

Roman snapped his eyes open. That was Logan’s voice. His eyes darted around, searching for Logan. Instead, they found the stranger leaning over him a few inches from his face and studying the scratch on his cheek. Roman tried to flinch away from their touch.

“You hurt him,” they scolded.

“It was his own fault,” Remy argued. “I didn’t want to. I’d never hurt him on purpose.”

“Sure you wouldn’t,” they snarked. “Roman, my name is Deceit. I’m not sure if Logan told you who I am, but I’m the one he’s been working for.”

Roman rose an eyebrow in question. Remy slowly lifted his hand off Roman’s face, and Roman opened and closed his mouth to make sure it still worked.

“How did you know my name?”

“Unfortunately, I know more about you than your name.” Deceit paused. “I need you to delete that picture. You could be putting Logan in danger if it leaks.”

Remy scoffed. Roman’s eyes widened, and he narrowed them soon after.

“How do I know you’re not lying to me? And where is Thomas? He was in the building with me, then the next second he was gone.”

Deceit’s lips pulled into a tight line. Their body started to move on its own, bones shifting, hair color changing, and eyes becoming monochromatic. Roman blinked, and he came face to face with “Thomas” who looked ready to pass out.

“That’s because I was Thomas. Thomas works for us too.”

Roman tried to make sense of what he saw and asked, “How do I know you’re not making this up?”

Deceit paused and replied, “How about you come to check on me in about 10 minutes if it worries you that much?”

Roman opened his mouth to speak but stopped. That was what Thomas said to him when he left. 

Deceit let out a pained yelp, and their body shifted back to normal. They panted at Remy’s side, who sent Deceit a worried look.

“Don’t hurt yourself, babe,” Remy warned, “You used up a lot of energy.”

“I’ll be fine,” Deceit said with a dismissive wave of their hand.

“Why don’t you rest? I’ll deal with Roman,” Remy said and smiled.

Roman’s breathing hitched, and Deceit’s lips pulled into a frown.

“That’s not necessary,” Deceit said. “All we have to do is delete the picture, and then we can leave.”

Roman started, “But the cops-”

“What cops? Did you honestly think I’d call the cops on myself?” Deceit asked.

Roman hesitated. “But the newsroom. Everyone was asleep. They’re going to find out anyway.”

“Remy and I have made many attempts to keep our identities a secret,” Deceit responded. “No security footage has been left intact, and no one saw Remy while he put them to sleep.”

“No one would even know you were here, angel.”

The thought stilled Roman’s breath. He looked between Deceit and Remy, and he tried to get his mind to form words.

“Alright, you win. Just let me go, and I won’t tell anyone you were here.”

“The picture first,” Deceit reminded him. 

Roman pulled out his phone with his free hand. He caught Logan’s quick message of “five minutes away” sent about four minutes ago and could’ve cried. He should’ve stayed put. Logan would’ve come to get him, and he wouldn’t be in this mess. Roman typed in his password and pulled up the gallery. He clicked on the picture and hit delete.

“There,” he said. “It’s gone.”

“It’s not uploaded to any sort of cloud or other storage space?" 

"No.” Roman made direct eye contact, hoping that Deceit would accept the truth. He wished he would’ve sent it to Logan before he deleted it, or Virgil, or someone who could help him out, but he was out of luck and time. 

“Thank you for your cooperation, Roman,” Deceit said with a relieved smile.

Remy pulled Roman up to a standing position, then yanked him into a hug. Roman panicked and tried to pull away.

“Shh, it’s okay, angel,” Remy purred into his ear. “Everything’s alright now. I’m not going to hurt you. I’m sorry I even scared you.”

Roman’s eyes darted to Deceit, practically begging for their help, but Deceit made no move to break up the hug. Remy was much stronger than Roman, and Roman knew he wouldn’t be able to get away on his own. Coincidentally Remy knew it too. Roman didn’t know which thought scared him more. 

“Come, Remy, it’s time to get going before someone does find us,” Deceit said.

“Alright, alright,” Remy mumbled. He squeezed Roman even tighter, and Roman let out a small whimper as he clenched his eyes shut. “Don’t worry, angel. I promise next time we meet, I won’t be so rough.”

“Remy,” Deceit warned.

“I’m coming. You’re so impatient.”

“Let him go.”

Roman looked up at Deceit. The shapeshifter made no move to imitate anyone, and besides, the voice came from behind him. He could’ve cried in relief.

“Oh, it’s you,” Remy hissed, constricting Roman closer to his chest. “What do you want?”

Logan marched forward, head held low as he glared over his glasses and shoulders back. He looked ready to murder.

Remy took a step back, taking Roman with him. Roman tried to push away, but Remy held firm.

“I want you to let Roman go,” Logan said again.

“So he can go back to you? Yeah, um, fat chance. At least I care about him.”

“I don’t qualify kidnapping someone and holding them hostage for six months of their lives as a decent way of showing you care about someone.”

“At least I don’t hold his past against him. I forgave him for hurting me.” His voice softened as he looked at Roman. “Is that what has you so scared, Roman? I’m not mad at you for running away. We can start over.”

“No,” Roman objected and pushed against Remy’s chest. “I don’t care if you forgive me. I can’t forgive you. Remy, I don’t want to be with you. I want you to leave me alone.”

“But, Ro-”

“I don’t love you anymore, Remy!”

Roman’s voice echoed between the buildings. Remy’s shock melted into rage, and he grabbed onto Roman’s shoulders. Roman’s confidence wavered, and he swallowed hard.

“You don’t love me?” Remy repeated.

Roman, hesitantly, shook his head no. A small part of Roman hoped that meant freedom. A naive part of Roman wished this would be the moment that Remy walked out of his life and never came back. But Remy’s anger never wavered. His stare never shifted. Roman tried to shrink back, but with Remy’s hands digging into his shoulders, he knew it was a futile attempt.

Remy continued, “You know what? I don’t care anymore. I’m tired of playing this game with you.”

“What game, Remy? There is no game. We were friends. We tried dating, but it didn’t work out. I wasn’t happy. You can’t force me to be happy.”

Remy pulled Roman back in close, their noses practically touching. He growled through his teeth, “Yes I can. You just don’t realize how happy I can make you. I can give you anything you want. You want to be an actor? I’ll buy you the theater. You want the stars? I’ll become an astronaut. I would give everything to you, do anything for you, kill for you. How do I prove that I’m worthy of you?”

“Alright, Remy, that’s enough!” Deceit snapped behind him. “Let Roman go. We have to get back to the mansion.”

“I’m not leaving without him. Not this time. I can’t lose him again.”

Logan snapped, “Yes, you are.”

“No one asked you, loser nerd!”

“Remy, I’m going to count to three.”

“I’m not a child, Deceit! I can make my own choices.”

“Then stop acting like a child. You should know better than anyone, no one should be held against their will. What’s the difference between you holding Roman captive and what the trader ring did to you?”

“It’s different. I love Roman. I saved him. I love him, and he loves me too. He just has to remember.”

“Remy,” Deceit said as they put a firm hand on Remy’s shoulder. “Stop. You’re becoming one of them.“

Remy let go of Roman, held out his hand, and blew a thick cloud of dust. Deceit coughed and backed up. Soon, the dust started to work its magic, and Deceit fell backward onto the pavement.

Logan charged forward. Remy twisted Roman around. Roman cried out as he lost his balance and fell against the bricks. Remy gathered a pile of sand in both his palms and smashed them into the ground. Dust flew everywhere. 

Logan slid to a halt and covered his mouth and nose with his hands. The dust spread throughout the entire alleyway, thick and shimmering like a glitter bath bomb. He couldn’t breathe. He couldn’t see. He backed up and tried to wait for the cloud dissipate a bit so he could see. At least Remy couldn’t see either. Logan stepped in the direction he believed Roman was in. 

A fist smacked into his forehead. Logan cried out through his palm and staggered backward. His headache returned. He tried to see through the fog, to make out what attacked him, but he couldn’t see anything. 

Another fist slammed into his cheek, knocking his glasses askew. Logan blinked his tears away. He was losing oxygen. Not only that, but it was becoming harder to navigate safely through the cloud. 

A shadow moved through the dust. Remy’s sneer matched his rage filled eyes. Logan thought Remy and he were at the same disadvantage, but Remy moved through the sand like a fish in water.

“Oh, didn’t you know, I’m not affected by my sleep dust,” Remy informed. Logan backed up, and Remy grabbed him by the shirt collar. Logan struggled to get away. He kicked and pulled, but Remy’s grip held firm. “You’re going to have to breathe sometime.”

Logan snapped his eyes over to Roman’s silhouette, just barely visible. Roman had covered his mouth with his shirt, trying to keep as much of the dust out of his airway as he could. Logan could only assume Roman was terrified. Logan wanted to reassure Roman that everything was going to be okay. 

Remy punched Logan in the gut. Logan let out a grunt and doubled over. All the air left his lungs. He panicked. His body would fall unconscious one way or another now. He took a deep breath, the dust tasting sweet on his tongue. He coughed several times, allowing more dust to penetrate his system.

Remy threw him backward onto the pavement. Logan stared up at the sky, too dizzy to sit up. Remy towered over him with a sneer.

“Light’s out.”

With that, Remy kicked Logan in the head. The last memory Logan had was Roman yelling his name. 


	18. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Deceit and Logan sit down and have a heart-to-heart chat. Roman and Remy do as well, but it doesn't go as well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Warnings: forced captivity, house fire mention, burns, death mention, divorce mention, depression mention, manipulation mention, possessiveness, victim blaming  
Word Count: 4255

Logan groaned. He rolled his head to the side, noted how hard the floor was under his fingertips, and slid his hand against rough concrete to rub his throbbing head. Where was he? What happened?

A low curse caught his attention, and he willed his eyes open. The world was dark, save for the light streaming from a dirty window in the far right corner. The walls were made of some sort of black fabric. Logan could hear the blood roaring in his ears, and his tinnitus screeched louder than usual. He continued to massage his temple with his fingertips.

“Damn it.”

Logan paused. He squinted through the dark. The only thing he saw around him was a rather dusty bed, a cobwebbed bookshelf, a chest of what looked to be children’s toys, a broken porch swing, and a set of rickety wooden stairs.

“Hello?” Logan called out. His voice didn’t echo.

“Oh good, you’re awake,” Deceit’s voice sounded through the dark.

“Deceit? Where are you? Where are we?”

“It’s about time you graced the world with your presence. You wouldn’t happen to know how to pick locks, would you?”

Logan furrowed his brow. He stood, straightened out his shirt and tie, and walked to the base of the stairs.

Deceit knelt at the top of the stairs, their fingers fumbling with a pin stuck in a keyhole, which allowed some light through it. Another curse escaped their lips, and they stood up. They sported their true appearance, or at least what Logan assumed was their true appearance, and turned to Logan with tired eyes.

“We’re in the holding room,” Deceit informed him. “Remy used it as a bedroom when he first came to the mansion because he was eleurtherophobic.”

“He’s afraid of freedom?”

“I know it may not seem like he was, but when I first met Remy, being in a big mansion with the ability to go wherever he wanted scared him. It’s a common fear of traders.”

“Yes, Patton did mention that Remy was part of those trafficking rings.”

“I’ve done my best to try and ease him out of the fear with proper therapy for the past few years, and the therapist has been working wonders. You might know him. He runs your library.”

Logan’s eyes widened. “Dr. Picani?”

“Yes. I usually have him over for tea on Fridays, and he’s been trying to help Remy get over his phobia. He’s the one who suggested Remy leave his old name behind and burn old bridges. It seems we’ve done a bit too much of a good job, as Remy now doesn’t question anything he does or think of the consequences. If it’s in his way, he gets rid of it.”

“From one extreme to the other,” Logan mused.

“Exactly. Apparently the phrase “you either die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become the villain” holds more truth than I thought.”

Logan studied Deceit for a moment. Deceit leaned against the cool brick, and they ran a hand through their hair. Logan couldn’t help but stare at the burn mark covering the side of their face.

“Is that what you did? Died a hero?”

Deceit whipped their head around, and Logan studied how Deceit tensed. Logan walked away from the stairs. He sat on the bed, noting how much dust flew into the air, and rested his elbows on his thighs. Deceit hesitated for a moment then descended the stairs.

“What are you talking about?”

“I’m talking about Raven.” As Logan thought they would, Deceit paled at the mention of her name.

“How do you know Raven?”

“I ran into her while I was in the park. She also diagnosed me with a concussion when no other doctor would take me seriously. She has a beautiful wife and a son to call her own.”

Deceit’s eyes teared up, and they brushed them away quickly. “I’m glad she’s happy.”

“She is, but she very much misses you.”

“She doesn’t need someone like me. She only thinks she does.”

“From what Raven confided in me, you got her through a majority of her childhood.”

“Half. She was 10 the last time I saw her.”

“That’s still 55.56% of her childhood, which I believe would be more than half.”

Deceit squinted at Logan, and they joined him on the bed. The springs below them creaked in excitement from being used, and more dust floated into the air.

Logan asked, “Why didn’t you try to find her? I know if I was in that situation with Patton, I wouldn’t stop until I found him.”

Deceit let out a bitter laugh. “That’s the thing, Logan. I did find her.”

Logan blinked. He watched Deceit for any sign if they would continue, then asked, “Then why not let her know you were alive? From what she said, you were the only genetic family she had that made a positive impact on her life.”

Deceit took a deep breath in, sneezed, then exhaled the rest.

“When my dad set our kitchen on fire, I got her out as soon as I could, but mom was still inside. Obviously, my dad wasn’t going to do shit, because he was too busy yelling at the fire like yelling would fix all his problems, so I did something. The fire crew was still too far away. I knew they’d never make it to mom in time, and I couldn’t live with myself knowing she burned alive. So I went in myself.”

“That was a rather reckless move, even if your intentions were pure.”

“I was a stupid 16 year old that thought I was invincible. Sue me.”

“And I’m assuming your mom didn’t make it out anyway.”

“No. The fire hit our generator, and it exploded. I was thrown from the house and into the cornfield.” Deceit’s hand rose to his face, and his fingertips touched the ghost heat of his burn. “It’s all down my left side, you know. I’m burned from my face to my toes. I shouldn’t have survived, but because my body is fast at healing, I was able to recover. The burns, however, stayed, a reminder of how stupid I was. Help eventually came, but there was nothing they could do for my house. They did take my dad into custody though, who I learned eventually died in the hospital, and Raven… I remember her crying out my name. All she wanted was to know I was okay, but I couldn’t move.”

“And no one thought to look for you?”

“I was buried in a cornfield. Everyone probably thought I died from the explosion. I thought I died from the explosion. But I laid there as I waited for my body to heal itself of third degree burns for… oh, about three days.”

“Three days? What about dehydration and starvation?”

“Oh, yeah, I was pretty messed up. Found my dad’s goldfish pond and… well, I didn’t exactly go swimming.”

Logan shuddered at the unsanitary thought. “Didn’t you try to get help?”

“Of course I did, but you try getting anywhere with no car in the middle of nowhere, where the closest civilization is miles away and your whole body is still in massive pain.”

“How did you even survive that long.”

“Sheer will power.”

“So, did you ever eventually find help?”

Deceit snuffed. “Yeah. I eventually made it to a small town outside of my house, but everyone was afraid of me. Heck, after seeing my reflection, I’d be afraid of me too. They kept whispering about me, and I remember being approached by a law officer to make sure I wasn’t there to cause trouble. That’s when I realized these people weren’t going to help me either, not with the way I looked.”

“You didn’t tell them who you were or what happened?”

“Who was going to believe that? With my luck, they’d probably think I was a zombie and shoot me, and that wasn’t exactly on my to-do list.”

Logan cringed at that.

Deceit continued, “There was this woman who took care of me, though. She was old, and she was rather wealthy. She kept telling me how she’d foster younger children who would help her out and then send them back. That’s… that’s where I learned about the trader rings. I don’t think she understood what was happening. Her children would buy these kids for her to live with for as long as she wanted, then eventually she had to give them back. She mentioned Remy, and I learned that I wasn’t alone.”

“You thought you were the only deviant?”

“I was in a small town in the middle of Conventional, USA. What do you think?”

“I see your point.”

“Small towns are great if you’re like everyone else, but if you’re different, they think you’re out to kill them.”

“Unfortunately I wouldn’t know.”

“Yeah, you did say you were in the city your whole life.”

“I was, though I did move from one city to the next. My mother was never good at holding a stable job. She was a wonderful woman, but her depression often left her incapable of work. So, I learned at a young age how to take care of her and myself, just to try and lighten her burden a little more.”

“Didn’t you have another parent or something to help out?”

Logan shook his head. “My father and her divorced when I was eight. I think that’s when her depression started. He took all our money and ran. For a while, we lived with Patton and his… mother until we could get enough money together to find our own apartment.”

“Where is she now?”

“She’s thankfully surviving on her own. She found a wonderful man who has been working with her to try and get through life, and the two of them meet up every Thursday. You may know him as Dr. Picani.”

Deceit smiled at that. “What a small world.”

“I owe a lot to Dr. Picani. He turned my life around. I wasn’t necessarily a… good child. I was rather reckless, and I thought I knew everything. Then he took the time to understand me and why I acted the way I did. I thought I was an adult at the age of eleven due to my home experience, and I was tired of being treated like I was a child.”

“I know that feeling.”

“It’s infuriating when the world sees you one way but you see yourself as another.”

“Well, in my case, I can change my appearance into what the world wants me to be, so I never had that problem. The number of times I used my ability to get into adult spaces was… more than I probably should have.”

Logan rose a brow, and Deceit quirked his lips. He shook his head and stared down at the floor. “So, how did you find Raven?”

“That old woman let me stay with her until I finished high school. From there, I went on to become a business major with a minor in computer science. By day, I was learning how to become an entrepreneur, but by night, I was learning how to hack the system and find my sister. I knew she had to have been placed in foster care since I had no other family but my immediate family, and if I wanted to find her, I was going to have to do some digging.”

“And I’m guessing you did.”

“Yeah, five years later. I remember standing outside the door of their house.” Deceit’s voice grew soft. “It was the beginning of December. I remember looking through a menorah into their living room. That’s when I saw her. She was sitting between two loving men, had a cat curled up in her lap, and was opening a present. I remember her hugging them, and how happy she was. Her smile brought tears to my eyes. And I knew then and there I couldn’t show up in her life and ruin it.”

“So you just… left?”

Deceit nodded their head. They brushed a few tears from their eyes. “Raven deserved so much more than I could give her. She didn’t need me. She had a family who could give her everything, and if not everything, help her achieve everything.”

“But didn’t you think she’d be happy to see you again?”

“Oh, I knew she would. But then… then she might leave her new life behind, and I couldn’t do that to her or her family.”

“She can love more than one person as her family.”

“I know, but… I didn’t want to risk it.”

Logan sighed. He ran a hand through his hair and leaned back against the wall. Deceit mirrored him, and the two of them enjoyed a bit of silence.

“That’s when I decided I wanted to give other kids the same chance Raven got,” Deceit continued. “I started by looking for trader rings. I was surprised by how many I found. And that’s when I found Remy and Cassie. They were hesitant of me at first, but they eventually learned to trust me.”

“And you did this all on your own?”

“In the beginning, yes. However, I realized quite quickly I couldn’t do this on my own, so I started looking for other deviants to help. At first, no one wanted to help for obvious reasons. A lot of them were in hiding. And I knew I couldn’t do it by myself so I… I started to trick others into helping me. And it worked. I would recruit deviants who could help me get into the trader rings and get the kids out. I was in the middle of trying to work with another deviant who had a rather explosive temper when he snapped and blew up half his building. And then… and then I was rescued by Patton.”

“Ah yes, I remember you being the small child Patton also recklessly entered a building for.”

“I was looking at Patton to help a lot earlier than that, but I had no idea where to find him. He didn’t exactly let others know he had abilities.”

“For personal reasons, mostly.”

“Yes, but then I followed the two of you after the fire back to the library, and I realized the two of you were right under my nose the whole time, I knew it was my chance. And like I said, since I only planned on recruiting Patton, I figured I’d use you as leverage since the two of you were close.”

Logan grimaced at that. “I don’t appreciate being used as a bargaining chip for Patton’s cooperation.”

“And I’m sorry for that, but that was before I figured out you could borrow the abilities of others.”

“To be fair, I didn’t realize I could do that either until that night.”

“Isn’t it interesting how we’re always learning new things about ourselves?”

Logan nodded his head. The conversation fizzled out, and for a while, the two of them sat in silence. Deceit stood and walked over to the bookshelf, and Logan raised a brow. They skimmed through the books and pulled out one that was a mystery series from the looks of it.

“Well, since this room is abandoned, I don’t have much hope of us being rescued until Remy calms down and lets us out, so you might as well get comfortable,” Deceit mumbled. They sat on the bed next to Logan and let out a long sigh through their nose. “That’s how Remy kept Roman trapped here after all.”

“Roman was here?” Logan said as he looked around. He couldn’t imagine Roman being held captive in such a dirty place.

“He was. I caught Remy sneaking down here one night, and I realized he was keeping someone here, but I didn’t realize that Roman was put under his sleeping spell. Remy figured out a way to inject his dust directly into his victims, and I needed a code to unlock the machine he had around Roman’s eyes. Thankfully, Jack- who can bring luck to anyone they’re near- was able to bust the code, and they helped Roman escape.”

“You think anyone will eventually realize you’re missing?”

“Oh, eventually,” Deceit responded, “but who knows how long that’ll be.” Deceit opened the book in their hands and started to read.

Logan ran his eyes over the room once again. Beside the window that hadn’t been opened in who knew how long, there wasn’t a chance to escape the room. He felt his pocket but was unsurprised to find his phone missing. He wondered if Patton tried calling at all. Would he know where to look if Logan didn’t come home that night?

And most importantly, what happened to Roman?

Logan’s blood boiled at the thought of Roman being trapped by Remy again. And what did Remy mean that Logan held Roman’s mistake over his head? Didn’t he prove he was giving Roman a second chance by taking him in and giving him a place to stay? He may have never verbally expressed to Roman he wanted to move past their break up, but surely Roman knew that through his actions.

Didn’t he?

Of course, Roman could be oblivious. Did he really think Logan was only doing this out of the goodness of his heart and nothing else?

Come to think of it, Logan did tell Patton he didn’t view Roman as anything more than an acquaintance. He pushed Roman away every chance he got so he wouldn’t grow close to him again. But that was solely because he didn’t want to admit that he loved-

He loved…

He may have been less than honest with his feelings about Roman from the beginning. Truth be told, he wanted Roman back in his life. He wanted that challenge, that rush of meeting a rival and defeating them in battle, the close relationship between two friends who were made to shake the world at its core. He wanted the days back where he and Roman would gaze under the stars and pick out constellations, how they would go to movies and debate what was good and what wasn’t, and endless hours of talking when something was bothering him.

He missed their friendship.

He missed Roman.

–

Roman pulled one last time before he let his body fall limp against the cold table. Sweat dripped off his brow and stuck his hair in every direction. His wrists ached and probably bled by now. He tried freeing his feet as well, but the cuffs around his ankles held firm too. Roman took as many calming breaths as the strap around his chest would let him and stared at the ceiling.

For what felt like hours he lay there trying to get free. There were no windows, so he couldn’t tell what time it was, and the only light the room was a single spotlight that shined right on him.

“Can anyone hear me?” Roman yelled one last time. It didn’t work the other fifteen times he called for help, but maybe, just maybe, someone would come this time. “Please, someone!”

Roman strained his hearing. The dripping on his left started to get on his nerves, and he wished he could break his bonds just to shut the stupid sink up. It counted the seconds since he’d been here, counted the time Roman had left, counted every last ounce of hope Roman lost, counted… counted… counted…

“You don’t have to yell so loud, angel.”

Roman groaned and let the back of his head thunk against the table. When he said anyone, he didn’t mean Remy. Roman closed his eyes. He didn’t want to see Remy walking toward him on the tiled floor. It was bad enough he could hear his tormenter arriving. The footsteps stopped, and Roman allowed his eyes to crack open.

Remy smiled down at him. His fingers brushed hair from Roman’s forehead, and Roman twisted his head to the side and out of reach.

“I know your mad, angel, but I swear I had no choice.”

“You didn’t have a choice?” Roman snapped his words and head toward Remy. “What do you mean you didn’t have a choice? You’ve always had a choice, Remy. You just chose to become the villain.”

“I’m not the villain here,” Remy growled as he smacked his hand down beside Roman’s head. Roman flinched. Remy put his other hand on his hip and leaned in close. “I’m trying to save people, and everyone else is getting in my way, including you.”

“Who are you saving, exactly?”

“Everyone! All the people who have been abused and beaten down. Deceit wasn’t thinking big enough. Only taking kids from the trader ring? What about all the people who have been locked in a never ending cycle of trafficking for years? What about the deviants that have been on their radar but haven’t been taken yet? What about the deviants that are afraid to show their face or they’ll be killed? They need help, and no one’s doing a goddamn thing.”

“I’m sure they’re trying, but these things take time. You can’t just dismantle everything and expect others to follow along.”

“Watch me.”

Remy walked away from Roman, his shoes tap, tap, tapping on the tile. Roman tried to follow him through the light, but Remy slipped into darkness and left him be. Roman hoped he’d be alone for a while, but his hopes were dashed when Remy returned holding something dark.

Remy continued, “Conventionals are brainwashed from the time they’re little. They’re taught to fear anything stronger than them. They’re even taught to hate each other. Skin, gender, sexuality, freaking monetary income… it’s all garbage. Everyone wants a chance to live. Everyone deserves a chance to be who they are, to be free, no matter what other people think.”

“And I agree, but Remy-”

“No buts! It’s time to stop making excuses for awful behavior and start doing something about it. Look at what they’ve done to you! Your father treated you like shit, Logan treated you like shit, and you still let them get away with it.”

“I let you get away with it too.”

Remy paused. He put the object in his hand down on the table. Roman tried to follow it to figure out what it was, but Remy gently took Roman’s cheeks in his hands and leaned in close. Roman couldn’t pull away. Remy’s breath burned his skin, and his fear reflected off Remy’s dark sunglasses.

“Roman, I’m sorry if I ever did anything to hurt you. I never wanted any of this.”

“Then let me go! Remy, don’t you see I don’t want to be here? You’re taking my freedom away. You’re doing exactly what you don’t want to do.”

“Oh, I know. I know. But sometimes we have to sacrifice things to be free.”

“And that’s a sacrifice you’re willing to make.”

“Of course, babe. You’re worth it.”

Remy backed off, and Roman breathed a sigh of relief. Remy picked up the device into his hands and twisted it around. It was dark as Remy’s sunglasses, with metal cushioned cups and leather straps. Weirdly, it looked like a pair of sightless goggles.

Remy continued, “Now, hold still. This’ll only take a minute.”

Remy lowered the mask onto Roman’s face. Roman’s heart smashed against his ribcage. He tried to use its momentum to break the strap around his chest. He tossed his head to the side. The device slipped away. Remy growled and tried again. Roman tossed his head to the side. He kicked his feet. He clenched his hands. He tried everything to get away.

“Will you fucking hold still, angel? You’re making this harder than it needs to be.”

“I don’t want it! Remy, stop it!”

Remy grabbed Roman’s hair and yanked it back. Roman screamed and squeezed his eyes shut. He refused to cry. Still, his eyes betrayed him, and tears scalded the side of his cheeks.

“Stop making me hurt you! Do you think I enjoy this or something?”

Roman hissed through clenched teeth, “I’m starting to wonder.”

Remy sighed, and his shoulders slacked. He started petting Roman’s hair, massaging the pain out of the tender scalp. His voice regained its gentleness as he spoke, “Why can’t you see I’m only trying to help you, angel? Why do you have to make this a fucking game?”

“I don’t remember asking for your help.”

“I know, but you need it. You’re like a child that doesn’t know what’s best for them, but it’s okay because I forgive you. I know you don’t think what I’m doing is right right now, but you’ll figure it out.”

Roman stared at him with wary eyes. He swallowed the lump in his throat down and couldn’t hold in the sniffle. Remy cooed like a mother comforting her child, and he started stroking Roman’s hair faster.

“Remy, please,” Roman tried one last time. “Don’t do this. Don’t be the villain of this story.”

“Oh, but babe, I’m not the villain.”

With that, Remy eased Roman’s head up and held Roman’s hair in place. Roman couldn’t struggle if he wanted to. The black mask clamped down over his eyes. Remy turned Roman’s head to the side. A metal click locked Roman in the dark, and Remy’s voice whispered one last time in his ear.

“I’m the hero no one knew they needed.”


	19. Chapter 19

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Patton and Virgil arrive at the mansion and try to sort this whole mess out. Virgil ends up running into more than one little problem.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Warnings: talks about loss of consciousness, mind control, name calling, mild injury  
Word Count: 4529

“Salutations. I’m unable to hear my cellular device at the time-”

Patton hit the end call button. He put his phone down on the table and grabbed two fistfuls of hair. His leg bounced up and down as he sat at the island in his kitchen, the bar stool bouncing with him.

“Fuck.”

“Virgil-”

“I know, but Roman hasn’t answered for an hour now. I’m starting to- he’s probably-”

“I’m sure he’s fine,” Patton said with optimism, but at this point, even he knew it was fake. Why didn’t he go with Logan? Why didn’t he make sure Roman was okay?

“But what if he’s not?” Virgil asked. What if whatever got him killed him, and Logan too?”

Patton folded his fingers together and pressed them to his lips. He eyed his phone in front of him, praying it’d ring with Logan’s location in hand. Or Roman. Or anyone who knew where they were.

“I have to go find them.”

“Patton-”

“Virgil, if I don’t do something, I’m going to lose it. I can’t keep waiting here when there’s something I can do.”

“No way. You’re not going alone.”

“What other choice do I have?”

“I’m going too.”

Patton snapped his head up, and Virgil stood up from the couch. “No, it’s too dangerous.”

“Too dangerous,” Virgil mocked. “I laugh in the face of danger.”

“But what if whoever hurt Roman and Logan are still there? What if they go after you?”

“Pat, I can fight. I’m not helpless. You know I can fight. High school state wrestling champion, remember?”

“Yeah, I know, but wrestling is a lot different than fighting, Virge.”

“I know that. I was- god, I know that, Pat, but I can’t just sit here and do nothing either. If you go, I go too.”

Patton pursed his lips. Virgil stood beside Patton now, his hand playing with the fidget cube in his pocket. Clicking and clacking and popping and spinning and nerve grating and-

“Okay, Virgil,” Patton said with a sigh, “but if it gets dangerous, I’m getting you out of there right away.”

Virgil rolled his eyes. “You know, I’m not helpless either. I learned a few things from the Red Lions too, like fighting dirty and how to take down someone who’s twice your size. It’s the only good thing to come out of me joining that gang.” Virgil flashed his hands. “Street smarts.”

Patton stood up from his seat. He pressed the button on his wrist and activated his Palpitation costume. The blue spandex shifted on his skin like a reversible sequin pillow. Virgil couldn’t help but stare at it in awe. The transformation completed with the goggles forming out of thin air and hugging his face.

“You know, that’s still cool,” Virgil commented.

Patton grinned. “So, are you riding or running?”

“What?” Virgil’s eyes widened. “Wait, wait, wait, you- you’re not seriously thinking- I’m not-”

“It’ll be fine, Virgil. I do this with Logan all the time. Trust me.”

“It’s not you I’m worried about trusting.”

“Then take a leap of faith.”

Virgil eyed Patton warily. He shifted from one foot to the other, wondering if he still had a choice to back out. However, he knew that if he wanted to find Roman, he was going to have to do what Patton wanted. A groan left his lips as he walked closer. Patton scooped Virgil into his arms. Virgil’s arms constricted his neck, and Patton coughed. In a second, Virgil eased up the pressure, but his breathing stayed tense.

“Just… not too fast,” Virgil requested.

“Alright. I won’t go above 50, is that okay?”

“How the heck should I know? Just-” Virgil buried his head into Patton’s neck. “Just let me know when it’s over.”

Patton chuckled. The number count for his speed rested at zero, but his heart beat well above 400 beats per minute. Patton’s shoes gripped the carpet. He bolted forward. The world blurred, Virgil stopped breathing, and Patton’s speed reached 55, but he wouldn’t tell Virgil he was speeding. Not yet.

Those who got a chance to catch the odd couple barreling down the street saw a blue streak and heard a high pitched screech all the way to the Sidestone news studio.

Patton slid to a halt outside the building. Multiple police cars blocked the area as well as police line tape. People crowded around the building and chattered amongst themselves. Red and blue lights danced in the afternoon light. An ambulance tended to people who looked more shaken than hurt, but Patton couldn’t tell from his position.

Patton set Virgil down, and Virgil tried to stand. His eyes were wide, the shifting light making his eyeshadow darker than the night sky, and his body shook. Patton waited until Virgil could support his weight and let go.

“I’m going to get a closer look,“ Patton said.

“Please be careful.”

Patton flashed Virgil a thumbs up and excused himself through the crowd. Surprisingly, everyone parted like the red sea to let him through. Patton thanked every one for standing aside and crossed the police tape.

“Well, this doesn’t look like good news,” Patton said as he approached the building.

The chief of police stopped Patton from going any further. “Excuse me, but this is police business-”

“Oh, I know. I’m just here to make sure you don’t need any help.”

The officer sighed and ran a hand over her face. “You’re too late to do anything. When we got the call, whoever was here already left.”

“Well, what happened?”

“We- they don’t know. All they know is they went to- they went-” the police officer muttered under their breath. “Siesta, the word for siesta.”

“They napped?”

“Not that one.”

“Sleep?”

“Yes! They were all sleep, and when they woke, it was several hours later. From what I understand, they said there was a sweet smell in the air before it happened.”

“Chloroform?”

“We’re not sure. All we know is there was a thin layer of golden dust everywhere.”

Patton’s heart plummeted to his stomach. Remy was here. And if Remy was here, that would explain why he didn’t hear anything from Logan or Roman. “Has everyone gotten safely outside.”

“We’re mostly sure everyone is out.”

“I’m going to try and talk to some of the victims to see if there’s anything I can do. Maybe someone saw something.”

“Good luck.”

Patton nodded his head. He scanned the crowd for any familiar faces, and his eyes settled on Joan, who spoke to a few officers. Patton hurried over and tapped them on the shoulder. Joan spun around, and their eyes lit up.

“Palpitation, oh thank fuck.”

“Evening, Joan. What happened here?”

Joan sighed and relayed the story they told countless times. “I don’t know. All I know is when I came back from broadcasting at the bank, the whole newsroom was unconscious. Other field reporters were trying to wake everyone up, but no one was responding.”

“And you don’t know how long ago this was?”

“It had to be after the morning news broadcast. Everyone said Thomas ran the morning show like always, but he’s the only one we haven’t found. I’m afraid- if the person who did this took Thomas I-”

“I’m sure he’ll be fine,” Patton assured him. “We’ll find Thomas and whoever was responsible for this.”

“I sure hope so.”

Patton left Joan with a smile. He excused himself past officers and into the building. For the most part, the newsroom looked undisturbed. Patton caught the golden glint of Remy’s dust on the floor, a few officers sweeping it into an evidence bag, and he searched through the entire building. No matter where he looked, Roman and Logan were nowhere in sight.

Patton exited the building and into the alleyway. He caught Virgil tapping his lips with his fingers as he watched the scene unfold. By some miracle, Virgil saw Patton and hurried over to him. Patton led Virgil around the building and well out of sight from curious eyes.

“So?” Virgil asked.

“I think it was definitely Remy.”

Virgil cursed under his breath. “If he did anything to Roman, I swear-”

“I don’t think he’d hurt him, but I’m sure they’re at Deceit’s mansion.”

“Well, what are we waiting around here for then? Let’s go get them.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah, I’m sure. You’re not doing this alone. I’m just going to worry myself to death here, so what’s the difference with me getting hurt or dying on the street from a heart attack?”

Patton shifted his weight uncomfortably. He held out his arms, and Virgil practically jumped in them. He took off down the street, recalling the familiar pathway to Deceit’s mansion.

When Patton skidded to a halt at the front door, he set Virgil down on the step. The door was, of course, locked.

“You know another way inside?” Virgil asked.

“Not really.”

“I’m sure I can find a window or something.”

“I’ll ring the front doorbell and try to distract everyone inside.”

“Please be careful.”

“You too.”

Virgil flashed a thumbs up and started searching around the house for any sort of opening. Patton, meanwhile, rang the doorbell. At first, nothing happened. Patton wondered if this was a bad idea.

“Patton, babe,” Remy’s voice crackled over the intercom. “You’re looking hot this afternoon. What’s up?”

“I need to talk to Deceit,” Patton said. “It’s important.”

The silence could’ve choked him. Eventually, Remy replied, “I’m sorry, they’re not here right now. Can I leave a message?”

“Then let me in. I’ll wait for them.”

Another long pause. The front door opened, and Patton breathed a sigh of relief. He caught Virgil shifting through the bushes out of the corner of his eye and sent a tense smile. Virgil watched him enter, a mouthed “good luck” breaking the silence, and Patton gave a respectful head nod.

The doors closed with a heavy thud and locked Patton inside.

Virgil couldn’t take his eyes off the door for a few seconds. He shook his nerves away and dug through the hedges. Patton would be fine. Patton knew these people. They weren’t leading Patton into a trap. That wasn’t the last time he would see Patton alive. They were going to find Roman and Logan and get the heck out of there in one piece.

Right?

Virgil turned to the other side of the building. He spied a long trellis that rose up to a second story window, which was conveniently open. Virgil groaned. He didn’t feel like climbing the wall like a goddamn prince looking for Rapunzel, but if it got him inside… he’d think about it. Virgil continued to skim the outside of the house, not finding any other windows that looked promising.

With a groan, Virgil stood at the base of the trellis. The vines hugged the iron bars, and red roses would probably mask any blood he lost pricking his fingers. Virgil took a deep breath in and out, grabbed one of the bars, and steadied himself. The trellis wobbled unhappily. Virgil shifted his weight forward with a silent curse, or at least as silent as he could make it, and stood there hyperventilating against the wall for a moment.

Once the trellis stopped trying to buck him off, he climbed a step at a time. Thankfully, he was thin enough to make it through the opened window, and thankfully whoever this Deceit person was didn’t believe in screens and fought anything that flew through the window with their bare hands. Maybe Virgil should be afraid of that.

Or maybe he should be afraid of the little girl staring at him like he told her Santa didn’t exist.

“Don’t scream,” Virgil whispered.

The girl took a deep breath in. Virgil lunged forward. The girl backed up into her dresser and knocked over a bunch of plastic horses, which clattered on the hardwood floor like a machine gun. Virgil slid to a stop and put a finger to his lips.

“Please don’t scream,” he whispered a little louder.

The girl started crying, and Virgil ran a hand through his hair. Okay, this was going… not as bad as he thought, but probably close to it. He could hear footsteps approaching the door. Virgil scanned the room. He noticed a shut door, prayed it wasn’t a dead end, and opened it.

A pile of stuffed animals stared at him like he was interrupting seven minutes in heaven.

“Great, a closet,” he mumbled. The girl stopped crying and now hid behind her bed.

“Molly, you okay in there?” a woman’s voice asked.

“Stranger!” Molly yelped.

Virgil cursed. He thought about jumping in the closet, but the girl would surely rat him out, and there weren’t enough stuffed animals to cover him up. Why wasn’t he able to turn invisible?

The door opened, and the room temperature dropped ten degrees. Virgil backed up into the wall behind him. Brown eyes locked onto him, and before Virgil could blink, ice shot across the room and froze his feet in place.

Virgil struggled to pull his feet up, but the ice held firm. Not only that, but it slowly traveled up his leg. Virgil started hyperventilating. He tried harder, but the ice wouldn’t give.

“Who are you?” the woman growled.

Virgil opened his mouth to speak, but his voice was frozen too apparently.

“He came in the wando,” the girl said and pointed.

“Window, sweetie, but you were close,” the woman said and sent a reassuring smile. Her expression darkened when she turned back to Virgil. “Now, answer me. Who are you, and why are you here?”

“I-” Virgil’s voice cracked- “I’m with Patton.”

The woman rose a brow and crossed her arms. “Oh yeah? Then why didn’t you come through the front door?”

Virgil swallowed hard. The ice reached his hips, and he started to shiver. “Needed help.”

“Who needed help? You?” her eyes widened. “Patton?”

Virgil shook his head, and then he nodded it. The woman snapped her fingers, and the ice disappeared. Virgil’s legs shook, and he leaned against the wall for support. He took as deep a breath as his body would let him.

The woman continued, “What kind of help does Patton need? Is that why he’s here? Is everything okay?”

Virgil shook his head back and forth. The woman’s arms unfolded, and she gestured for Virgil to sit on the bed. Virgil shook his head no. She put her hands on her hips but didn’t press the issue. Her right hand rose from her hip and rested on her chest.

“My name is Cassie,” she introduced. “This is Molly. You came into her room.”

Virgil’s eyes went between Cassie and Molly. He nodded his head in understanding.

“Why isn’t he talking?” Molly asked.

“I think he’s just scared, sweetie. You remember how scared you were when you first came here?”

Molly’s eyes widened. She jumped out from behind her bed and sprinted to the closet. Stuffed animals flew everywhere as she dug through the pile. She pulled out a long plush snake with a missing eye (though the button to replace it was a nice touch) and held it out to Virgil.

“This is Fideo. He makes me feel good.”

Virgil eyed the snake over before taking it in his hands. He flashed a quick smile.

“Now, you said you were here because of Patton?” Cassie prompted.

Virgil eyed her over. Could he trust this Cassie person? What if she worked with Remy? What if she helped Remy steal Roman? What if he couldn’t trust her?

Cassie sighed and looked at the door, “I can just go get him. He’s downstairs with-”

“No!” Virgil snapped. He lowered his voice. “No, don’t.”

“Sweetheart, I’m kinda confused-”

“Don’t call me sweetheart. I’m not your sweetheart.”

“Alright, but I’m still confused. Why are you here and not with Patton? What’s going on?”

Virgil opened his mouth to speak, but he shut it soon after. His eyes darted to the door Cassie once stood in front of, and he wondered if he could slip through without turning into a frozen dinner. Or maybe he could jump out the window. At least he knew the bush would catch his fall.

“Alright, how about I ask you only yes or no questions? You okay with that?”

Virgil hesitated, then slowly nodded his head yes. That might stall enough to get him to the window and the heck out of here.

“Are you a deviant?”

Virgil snorted and shook his head no.

“Okay, then, you know Patton, right?”

Virgil shook his head yes and slid his foot a little to the left.

“Did you come here with him?”

Yes. Scoot.

“Did he want you to come with him?”

Yes. Scoot.

“Alright, why- I don’t think I can ask why with yes or no questions, can I?”

Virgil’s lips quirked into a smirk. He shook his head no. Scoot.

“Does he know you’re up here?”

No. Scoot.

“Alright, so Patton knows you’re here, but not here here. He didn’t want you to come in with him, and you’re not a deviant- wait, where are you going?”

Virgil sucked in a breath. He leaped off the side of the window sill and crashed into the bushes below. Virgil held his breath as Cassie leaned out the side of the window.

“Hey, come back!” she called out. She muttered under her breath, “I’m going to tell Remy what’s going on. You stay here, Molly. Let me know if he comes back up.”

“Kay,” Molly chirped. The girl leaned over the window sill and stared into the bushes. “Did you get hurt?”

Virgil ignored her and the throb in his ankles. He could see Molly staring out the window, straight at the bush he fell into. He couldn’t move without her seeing.

Molly continued to talk out the window, “I hope you’re not hurt. I don’t like when people get hurt. It makes me feel bad. I get poked when people are hurt, so I hope you’re not hurt.”

“¿Qué haces, Molly?”

Virgil sucked in a breath. He knew that voice! That was Roman!

Molly disappeared from the window and responded to Roman in Spanish. Too bad Virgil didn’t pay attention when Roman taught him the language. He wished he took an interest in his brother’s mother tongue so he knew what they were saying.

Virgil didn’t care who saw him anymore. He climbed back up the trellis into Molly’s window and ignored his throbbing ankle. When he finally got to the top, he spied Molly and Roman sitting on her bed. Wait, what was Roman wearing on his eyes? It looked like he had thick black goggles on.

Molly and Roman continued to speak in Spanish. Though Roman looked in Virgil’s direction (at least he thought he did. He couldn’t exactly see Roman’s eyes) Roman didn’t acknowledge Virgil’s presence. It was Molly who turned to the window and smiled at him.

“Oh, you’re back!” she chirped. She turned back to Roman and said something in Spanish.

Roman’s lips drew into a thin line, and he stood from the bed. His hands shook as he put them into fists.

“Hey, Ro,” Virgil said with a lopsided smile. “What the fff-” he eyed Molly- “fudge are you wearing?”

Roman pulled Molly in close, guarding her, and took several steps backward. His soulless black goggles didn’t leave Virgil’s direction. Molly looked up at him, her smile disappearing. She started speaking in a hushed tone, and Roman responded. Virgil could tell by Roman’s tone that he was agitated for some reason.

“Roman, it’s me. It’s Virgil,” he said as he stepped fully through the window. “You know me.”

“You know Roman?” Molly asked as she turned her attention to Virgil.

“Yeah, he’s my big stupid step-brother. What’s he doing?”

“I’m protecting her,” Roman snapped. He urged Molly back toward the door. “And I don’t know who you are, but you better get out of here fast.”

“What? No, Roman, I’m not going to hurt her- wait what do you mean you don’t know who I am? This isn’t a joke.”

“Good, because I’m not laughing.”

Virgil pinched the bridge of his nose. “Okay, did you like hit your head or something, or are you just being more stupid than normal?”

Roman swept Molly into his arms and backed out the doorway. Before Virgil could stop him, Roman took off down the hall. Virgil did his best to keep up with him, but that ankle Virgil was sure he twisted on the jump out the window started to weigh him down. He stopped in the middle of the hall as Roman turned down another.

“Oh for crying out loud,” Virgil grumbled. He leaned against the wall to catch his breath. What was that all about? What was on Roman’s eyes? What was going on? How could this possibly get worse?

“Who are you?”

Virgil’s eyes slipped closed. Why did he have to ask?

Virgil turned his head and spied a teen girl standing behind him. She had a book opened as she walked down the hallway, her eyes locked onto Virgil and somehow colder than the ice deviant he ran into a few minutes ago. Virgil held up his hands in surrender.

“Listen, kid, I’ve had a rough day-”

“I’m not a kid.”

“Fine, whatever, just… you do you and I’ll do me and we can live in-” he refused to end that with a rhyme the way Patton did- “in peace.”

The girl slapped her book closed and tucked it under her arm. She still looked rather unimpressed, but there was a curious raise of her brow that told Virgil she wouldn’t be leaving him alone anytime soon. She asked, “You some sort of new deviant on the block?”

Virgil clenched his teeth. What was it with these people asking if he was a deviant? Not that he should’ve minded, but it was starting to piss him off. He snapped, “No, I’m not.”

“So, you’re one of Deceit’s puppets?”

“What the- no! Look, I’m just trying to find my brother, kid.”

“Not a kid.”

“Teenage mutant.”

“Alright, I’ll take that one. And who’s your brother?”

Virgil held up his hand to his shoulder. “About this high, stupid, ginger, has green eyes but is wearing sunglasses inside because he thinks it’s cool-”

“Oh, one of Deceit’s puppets.”

“He’s a what?” Virgil stood up straight, ignoring the throb of his ankle, and balled his hands into fists. “What do you mean he’s one of Deceit’s puppets?”

The girl’s smirk irritated him further as she said, “Just what you think it means.”

Virgil pointed a finger at her. “Look, I’m really not in the mood for games, kid-”

“Call me a kid one more time. I dare you.”

“One of my friends- maybe two- are in trouble, my brother is walking around more brain dead than usual, and all I want to do is get the hell out of here in one piece.”

The girl pulled her lips into a tight line, and she stared at Virgil like he was gum under her shoe. She put her book in a satchel at her side. “Look, you sound like you have a problem, teen angst, so why don’t I just take you to Remy so you can settle your score with him, because Deceit isn’t here to talk to right now, and they’re the one you’re gonna have to talk to about your brother.”

“Remy’s the exact opposite of who I want to find- did you just call me teen angst?”

“You called me kid.”

“Well, you are, aren’t you?”

“I’m going to be fifteen in a month.”

“Good for you. I’ll bring cake.”

“So if you don’t want to see Remy, and you can’t see Deceit, why don’t you just leave and come back later?”

“Can’t. I’m not leaving here without either of them.”

“Well, I hope you like being disappointed, because that’s probably not going to happen.”

“Look, kid-”

The girl reached out and grabbed Virgil’s hand. She rolled him over her shoulder with little effort. Virgil screamed as he sailed head over heels through the air and flopped like a ragdoll. His back slammed into the floor. The air left his lungs, and Virgil struggled to replace it. He coughed a few times and rolled over onto his side. Something definitely broke, but he wasn’t sure what it was… probably his pride.

“Okay, what the hell?” he managed to cough out.

“I told you not to call me a kid,” she said with a sneer as she looked down at him. “I’ve seen more shit than you probably saw in the crapper. I’ve given birth with nothing but a midwife and men who only wanted to breed me for my powers. I’ve been taken away from anyone I ever called a family, got rescued by a new one, and I’ll be damned if you do anything to hurt any of them. Got it?”

Virgil blinked up at her a few times. She reached down, grabbed his shirt collar, and picked him up like a doll. Little to no effort crossed her face. Virgil started to realize this girl may be powered too, probably super strong with the way she kept picking him up.

“I said, got it?”

“I got it!” Virgil growled.

“Good.” She tossed him onto his back once again. Virgil slid a little on the smooth hallway. “Now give me one good reason why I shouldn’t just carry you down to Remy so he can deal with you himself?”

“Because Remy kidnapped my brother and held him here for six months against his will before, and I’d rather not end up like him.”

This tripped the girl up. She eyed Virgil over and wrinkled her brow. “What do you mean?”

“Look, I don’t want to ruin your idea of a perfect little found family, but Remy has been stalking and tormenting my brother for at least two years now, and I think he got to him again.”

That cocky sneer she held onto disappeared, and it replaced itself with a confused frown. It didn’t last long. Tiny feet pitter-pattered down the hallway at a quick rate.

“Fajjr!” the girl yelled. She turned the corner, and Virgil recognized Molly.

Fajjr’s hard demeanor turned soft in an instant, and she knelt on the floor. Molly crashed into her and wrapped her into a hug like Fajjr would disappear in an instant.

“What’s wrong, Molly? What happened?”

“It’s Cassie! And Patton! Remy did something-”

“Did what?” Fajjr asked.

“Something. He pushed a button, and they started acting funny.”

“Take me to them.”

Molly eyed Virgil over Fajjr’s shoulder, who went stiff as a board and white as a ghost. Fajjr looked over at Virgil as well. She motioned with her head for Virgil to follow them and took off down the hall.

Virgil remembered how to walk and kept an even pace with her. His heart, however, ran a marathon. He should’ve never split up. He should’ve stayed with Patton. If anything happened to Patton, he’d never forgive himself.


	20. Chapter 20

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Patton gets roped into Remy's plan involuntarily, as do a few other people. Virgil ends up finding more people to help.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Warnings: threats of violence, gaslighting, talks of killing people, mind control, forced submission, possessive behavior, possessive speech, victim blaming,   
Word Count: 4125

The front door slammed closed, and Patton’s heart slammed against his ribcage. He hoped Virgil would be alright out there on his own. Remy motioned for Patton to take his shoes off, and Patton did as he was told. He put on the fuzzy blue slippers that waited for him every time he arrived and followed Remy into the living room. Patton deactivated his goggles and allowed his Palpitation uniform to stay in place.

“You want anything to drink while we wait? It might be a while,” Remy said.

“Uh, no, it’s okay,” Patton answered.

“Suit yourself.” Remy flopped down in Deceit’s chair, and Patton sat at the edge of the couch cushion. He folded his hands into his lap and squeezed them together. Remy eyed Patton up and down, and a sly smirk warped his face. “Alright, babe, you look like you’re gonna wet yourself. Calm down.”

Patton tried to relax, but his muscles wouldn’t respond. He settled for pushing his back into the couch behind him and crossing his arms over his chest.

Remy continued, “So what did you want to talk to Deceit about?”

“Well,” Patton sat up a little straighter, “I wanted to tell him that… I uh, I don’t want to… see, something happened, and I-”

“What happened?” Remy asked as his smile slipped away. “Who hurt you?”

“No one, but-”

“No, someone hurt you. I know that face. I’ll murder them.”

“Remy, stop, please. No one needs to get hurt.”

“Like hell. You’re part of my family now, Patton. No one’s gonna get away with hurting you, m’kay? Not on my watch.”

Patton sat up fully and ran a hand through his hair. He stared down at the floor and wondered how he was going to explain this all to Remy.

Remy stood from Deceit’s chair, walked to Patton, knelt, and cupped Patton’s cheeks in his hands. His sunglasses reflected Patton’s wide eyes, and his lips pulled tight like a parent reassuring their child after they’d done something wrong.

“Patton,” Remy said in a gentle voice, “You can tell me. Who hurt you?”

Patton could only blink. He tried to open his mouth and speak, but couldn’t find a way to make his voice work. Remy’s hands on his cheeks burned. He settled on taking Remy’s wrists into his hands and faking a smile.

“It’s okay, Remy, don’t worry about it. I just need to talk to Deceit.”

“Deceit’s gone.”

Patton’s heart pounded. “W-what?”

“They’re gone, and they left me in charge. I don’t know when they’re going to be back, so whatever is bothering you, tell me. I can take care of it for you.”

“It’s… I don’t want to-” Patton lowered his voice to a whisper. “I don’t want you to. I don’t want to be a part of this… anymore.”

And for once, it was the truth. He wasn’t here to trick Deceit, he wasn’t here to get Roman back, he honestly and truly didn’t want to be a part of anything that Remy was running.

Remy grimaced, and he looked over the top of his sunglasses. “Um, excuse me?”

“I-” Patton paused- “I don’t think this is working out for me, the whole hero thing. I just want to go back to being Patton.”

“And what about the people who can’t do that, huh? What about the people who you promised to help? They need you, and you’re going to hide?”

“That’s not fair-”

“Not fair? Babe, I’ll tell you what’s not fair: getting robbed of your childhood because some bastard decided he could make a quick buck off of you. You want that to happen to other people too?”

“Of course not!”

“Then why are you giving up? You can’t save everyone if you’re just Patton. They need Palpitation. We need Palpitation.” Patton opened his mouth to argue, and Remy put his hands on Patton’s shoulders. His fingers squeezed into Patton’s skin. “What did we do wrong? Why won’t you help us?”

Patton clenched his jaw. “It’s… what _you_ did, Remy.”

Remy blinked. He huffed a sharp laugh, and his amusement curled into contained rage. “What do you mean it’s what I’ve done?”

“You’ve… you’ve hurt people, Remy. I don’t want people to get hurt.”

“Patty cakes, this is war. People are going to get hurt.”

“Why does there have to be any sort of war? Why can’t we use peace to get others to accept us?”

“You saw how that worked for others. What about Martin Luther King? What about John Kennedy? What about Gandhi? They all tried it the peaceful way, and what happened? They died. They were killed by people who hated them for trying to use peace to win. You want to become some sort of martyr or something?”

“It’s better to die the hero than live and become the villain.”

The words shook Remy more than Patton thought they would. He shoved Patton into the couch and stood up. For a moment, Patton thought about running, but Cassie spoke over the side of the railing.

“Rem, there’s a stranger in the garden. They tried to get into Molly’s room,” she said as she hurried down the stairs. She opened her mouth to say more but closed it when she arrived in the living room. “What’s going on?”

Remy rubbed a hand over his face. He mumbled, “Great, now I gotta deal with that on top of you.”

Patton slowly sat up from the couch. Cassie made her way over to his side, and she rested her hands on the couch top.

“Remy?” Cassie asked.

“It’s fine, Cas!” Remy snapped. He balled his hands into fists. “I just need a minute to think.” Remy started pacing, and Patton stood up from the couch. Remy snapped his attention on Patton, his glasses sliding threateningly down his nose. “Don’t move! I’m not done with you yet either.”

“What did Patton do?”

“He’s walking out on us, Cass! He wants to stop helping people-”

“That’s not what I said!”

“-and go back to passing as conformative.”

Patton’s temper flared up. “I wouldn’t be thinking about it if you didn’t kill people.”

Cassie’s head snapped between the two of them. “Remy, what’s he talking about?”

“Oh please. You can’t tell me Callaghan didn’t deserve it for running such a disgusting operation. You can’t tell me Banks didn’t deserve it for kidnapping so many kids. These aren’t people, Patton. They’re monsters. And worse, people are letting them get away with it. They’re just as disgusting as anyone involved in the trader rings.”

“Remy,” Cassie said like an exasperated mother scolding her child, but she didn’t continue.

“I know they’ve hurt people,” Patton said, his voice dangerously low. “I know they’re… they’re not good people, Remy.”

“So what’s the problem?”

“You can’t just play God, Remy. You can’t decide who’s good and who’s evil and who deserves to live or not.”

“And why not?”

“Because it’s wrong!”

“It’s wrong.” Remy scoffed. “Give me a break. This isn’t a comic book. The good guys don’t win just by locking the bad guys in jail and taking a bunch of pictures for the paper. The real world keeps moving on. Even with Callaghan out of the way, there’s a trader rings still being run. Even with Banks dead, there are still people being abducted. We don’t get a gold sticker for doing a little bit of good. We get it by destroying everything they stand for. And if you’re not against that, you’re one of them.”

“That’s enough, Remy,” Cassie snapped. She moved around the couch, separating Remy from Patton. The air chilled. “That’s not fair, and you know it.”

Remy backed up a bit, his eyes going wide. “Cass, babe-”

“No, Remy, you need to calm down. You need to think about what you’re saying. What you’re making Patton do. He didn’t sign up to be a mercenary.”

Remy’s expression softened. He clenched and unclenched his hands, and a bitter sigh left his lips. He ran a hand through his hair.

“I just don’t want anyone to end up like us, Cass. We’re so fucking screwed up and I- I just want all this to go away.”

Cassie’s warmth returned, and she offered Remy a sympathetic smile. She raised her arms, asking Remy if he wanted a hug, and he gladly took it. Her fingers ran through his hair as she purred soft words into his ear.

Patton took this as his moment to leave. He stood up from the couch and was about to run off when a familiar face appeared at the side of the railing.

Roman hurried down the stairs, Molly cradled in his arms and raced over to Remy. Remy let go of Cassie, and he caught Roman in his arms.

“Whoa, angel, where’s the fire?” he asked with a small laugh. He glanced over at Molly. Molly turned her attention to Patton, and she spoke to Roman in Spanish. Roman set her down on the ground, and Molly jumped into Patton’s legs. Patton did his best to stay upright and nervously laughed. There went his escape.

“There’s a strange man in Molly’s room.”

Remy’s grimace returned. “Are you okay? He didn’t try to hurt you, did he?”

“No, we’re both okay, but he… he looked familiar.”

Remy kissed the top of his head. “No, angel, you’re probably confused. Everything is gonna be okay. I’ll take care of it.”

“Roman, what are you wearing?” Patton asked.

Remy looked over Roman’s head, and his lips curled into a smirk. “Oh, just a pair of goggles, babe.”

“I wasn’t talking to you,” Patton hissed as he balled up his fists.

Roman turned his head in Patton’s direction. Patton couldn’t see his green eyes through the glass at all, and his lips moved to form words that refused to come out.

“Who is that?” Roman asked.

Patton’s heart broke. “Roman, it’s me. It’s Patton. We’re friends, remember?”

Roman responded by pressing his head harder against Remy’s chest. Patton’s shock disappeared. He gently eased Molly off of his legs and stormed toward Remy.

“What did you do to him?” Patton growled, his voice low and dangerous.

Remy took a step back, taking Roman with him. The worst part was, Roman actually moved to try and protect Remy from Patton. His soulless goggles stayed focused on Patton as Patton slowed to a halt. Patton didn’t know whether to advance or not.

“I saved him,” Remy answered.

“No, you didn’t. You’re… what are you doing to him?”

“I’m protecting him from ending up like the other conformatives out there. Roman doesn’t deserve it.”

Patton hesitated. He said slowly, “Doesn’t deserve what?”

“He doesn’t deserve to be corrupted by people who are going to use him. He doesn’t deserve to be mistreated. He’s perfect, and I’m going to preserve that perfection no matter what.”

“Remy,” Cassie said and sucked in a breath. “Please tell me you’re not-”

“Not what, babe? Controlling him? No, Roman can do what he wants, as long as it doesn’t get him hurt.”

“That’s a lie,” Patton spat, “because I know that Roman would never hold onto you like that. He hates you.”

“How dare you speak about him like that,” Remy growled and pushed past Roman. He stormed up nose to nose to Patton. Patton’s eyes burned in the reflection of Remy’s sunglasses. “You don’t know anything about Roman. Not like me.”

“And what do you know about Roman?” Patton snapped back. “What do you do when he eats ice cream? What’s his favorite song? Where’s his favorite place to relax? When did he realize he was gay?”

“What does it matter?”

“It matters because I know all the answers, and the only thing you care about is winning-”

Remy shoved Patton backward. Patton’s legs caught the coffee table. He lost his balance and fell onto the glass. It cracked below him but didn’t shatter. Remy jumped on top of him. He pounded his fists onto the glass where Patton’s head was seconds before. Patton kicked his legs up. Remy sailed over his head and collapsed onto the floor.

“Boys!” Cassie scolded. Molly ran to her side and buried her head into Cassie’s shirt. “That’s enough!”

Remy twisted his body until he stood. Patton rolled off the coffee table and hurried to his feet as well. He jumped, his fist ready to strike. Remy buried his hand into his pocket. The click of a button stopped Patton in his tracks. The goggles from his uniform snapped onto his face, sparks flying from the sides. He stood in the middle of the floor and struggled to catch his breath.

“That’s enough,” Remy hissed through his teeth. He walked up to Patton, who didn’t move from his frozen position. “Now, be a good boy and sit back down.”

Patton’s body struggled to move. He backed up, his hands flying up to his head and squeezing the sides. Eventually, his legs hit the back of the couch, and he fell into a sitting position.

Cassie’s eyes flew between Remy and Patton. Her lips floundered before she asked, “Remy, what did you do? Deactivate Patton’s suit right now. The override protocol is for emergencies only!”

“No can do, Cass. I was afraid something like this would happen. He can’t be trusted anymore.”

“So let him go! Isn’t that what he wanted? To go home?”

“He’s not gonna let us do what we need to, Cassie. He’s gonna try and stop us, just you wait and see. Didn’t you see how he attacked me?”

“Yeah, because you attacked him. I’m about ready to give you a piece of my mind too.”

“I can’t let people who are going to stop me free. I can’t risk what we’ve been working so hard to achieve. And if that means turning Patton into a puppet, so be it.”

Cassie’s eyes narrowed. “Turn it off before I turn it off myself.”

Remy stared at her, his lips pulling into a grimace. “You’re gonna fight me now too, Cass? After everything we’ve been through? You’re going to take their side?”

“I don’t want to take sides. Why does there have to be sides? Why can’t we all just work together to fix this?”

“Because no one’s doing it right! We’ve tried Deceit’s way, and where has that gotten us? Five years of just breaking out whoever Deceit thinks they can control. Aren’t you tired of being treated like someone’s slave?”

Cassie took steps toward Remy, and Remy backed up. He fished in his pocket. Cassie snapped her hand forward and froze Remy’s arm to his side. He grit his teeth. Cassie raced forward. Remy used his free hand to lower his sunglasses. Before Cassie could snap her eyes closed, Remy’s eyes swirled.

“Stop!” Remy ordered. Cassie froze. Her body shivered. Molly cowered into a corner, and once the chaos stopped, she raced up the stairs. Remy let out a long sigh. He struggled to break the ice on his hand and pressed another button. A silver suit sparkled from the bracelet around Cassie’s wrists like gemstones and encased Cassie’s body, and silver goggles slid over her eyes. The glass froze over until her eyes were no longer visible.

Remy’s voice grew hysterical. “You both couldn’t just keep it together, could you? You had to try and fight against me. I can’t trust anyone.” His eyes landed on Roman, who stood stark still during all of this. “Well, maybe not everyone. Come here, angel.”

Roman took slow steps until he stopped a few feet in front of Remy. Remy closed the distance, and he wrapped Roman into a one armed hug. He kissed the top of Roman’s forehead, making Roman shudder.

“I’m sorry you had to see that,” Remy cooed. “Don’t worry. They won’t try to hurt us again. They’re going to stay here until I need them again. In the meantime, I got a pest problem upstairs apparently. I’ll be right back.”

With that, Remy broke the ice on his arm and marched toward the stairs to see who this intruder in Molly’s room was.

–

Molly slid to a stop in the hallway. Fajjr slammed her heels into the floor so she wouldn’t trip over Molly, and Virgil wobbled to a halt. His ankle still throbbed.

“Someone’s coming,” Molly whimpered.

Fajjr locked to the side. “Quick, in Jack’s room.” She opened a white door to their right, and Molly hurried inside. Fajjr raised a brow as she caught Virgil’s hesitant stare. Virgil hobbled in, and Molly shut the door behind them. Footsteps grew and faded away on the other side of the door.

“Yo,” Jack said as they pulled their large headphones off their ears. They laid on their stomach, their feet kicking back and forth in the air as they painted their nails on the bed. “Molly, Fajjr… other guest… what a pleasant surprise. Did you knock? I didn’t hear you.”

“No,” Fajjr said as she checked the door to make sure it was locked. “Remy’s gone batshit apparently.”

“He wasn’t before?”

“I mean, more than usual.”

Jack’s lips pulled into a tight line. They eyed Virgil over and asked, “Who’s the noob?”

“I’m not-” Virgil lowered his voice. “I’m here with Patton.”

“Ooooh,” Jack said as they sat up. They blew on their nails to help them dry. “I didn’t know Deceit was holding private tours now.”

“They’re not,” Fajjr mumbled.

“Jack, something’s wrong with Cassie and Patton,” Molly informed. “Remy pushed a button and their suits started acting strange.”

Jack’s brows narrowed, and they hummed. Fingers stroked their chin. “I mean, I’ve heard Deceit had some sort of override protocol installed in the suits, but I thought he was the only one who knew the combo.”

“He had a what?” Virgil asked.

“An override protocol. Ya know, in case one of us started acting like Remy and killing people. They never used it on him though. Guess because Remy’s the prodigy child or something like that. It basically makes us listen to whoever’s wearing the control goggles.”

“What the fuck is wrong with you people?” Virgil asked.

Fajjr covered Molly’s ears and snapped, “Language!”

Virgil would’ve commented, but he didn’t want to right now. It reminded him too much of how Patton would react.

“Everything,” Jack answered. They grinned like the Cheshire Cat and stood up from the bed. “Now, what are we gonna do about Remy?”

“Can’t we just, I don’t know, make his override thing happen too?” Virgil asked. Fajjr let go of Molly’s ears and sent a wary look at Virgil.

Jack answered, “Well, one, we’d need the password to do that, and Deceit’s the only one with the password, and two, Remy’s probably already wearing the command goggles, so it wouldn’t work.

“They looked like sunglasses, not goggles,” Molly said and made circles around her eyes with her fingers.

Jack stroked their chin again. “Could it be that Remy somehow has his own pair? And if that’s the case, there may be another pair down in the control room.”

“Alright, that’s one problem solved,” Fajjr spoke, “but we still don’t have that password. We need Deceit.”

“Oh, I know where Deceit is,” Molly chirped. “I saw Remy carrying him and someone else into the old storage room.”

Fajjr put her hands together, took a deep breath, and said as calmly as she could muster, “And you didn’t think to tell us that before, Mol?”

Molly shrugged. “You didn’t ask.”

Fajjr pinched the bridge of her nose, and Jack laughed. They ruffled Molly’s hair and said, “Leave it to the silent one to have all the answers.”

“So where is this place?” Virgil asked.

“In the backyard,” Molly pointed at the window.

“Well, if Remy’s going to Molly’s room, that’s our chance to sneak out,” Jack informed. They opened their door, looked both ways, and motioned for the others to follow them into the hallway. The unlikely team tiptoed through the halls. The second floor opened up to the living room, and Virgil got a good look at the mess Remy caused.

Patton lay slumped against the couch, his head against the cushions and staring up at the ceiling. Cassie stood stiff as a board, her gaze locked onto the wall in front of her. Roman was the only one moving. He would walk between Patton and Cassie, say something, then repeat the process like a residual ghost.

Molly pulled on Virgil’s hand, catching his attention. She sent a comforting smile up to him, as if to say “we’ll get them back,” and pulled him along down the stairs. Virgil followed, his ankle throbbing a little less from the adrenaline, and the four of them exited into the backyard.

The garden greeted them with a row of sunflowers flanking both sides. Fountains babbled as birds chirped like this was a peaceful place and they weren’t running from someone who finally snapped. The cobblestone pathway scraped under their shoes.

“There,” Molly said and pointed.

Virgil blinked and mumbled, “That’s a shed. I don’t even think a lawnmower would fit in there.”

“Looks can be deceiving,” Jack said as they walked over to the large white door. They knocked three times. “Hey, anyone down there?” they called out.

For a moment, silence answered them. Jack knocked again.

“For crying out loud,” Virgil grumbled. They didn’t have time for this. For all he knew, this little girl only imagined Deceit getting thrown in there.

“Patience. It’s soundproof,” Jack informed. They knocked one last time.

This time, a knock sounded on the other side of the door.

“Deceit, that you?” Jack asked.

“No, it’s Obama,” Deceit’s voice called back. It sounded like they shouted from the other side of the garden. “Can you open the door? As much as I love it down here, I need to have a word with Remy.”

“You’re not the only one,” Jack answered. “I don’t have a key.”

“Deceit, get away from the door,” Fajjr warned as she rolled her sleeves up. She counted to five, raced forward, and slammed her fist into the door. The wood around the lock splintered, and the door crashed against the wall. It nearly came off the hinges.

Deceit lowered their arm from their face and blinked, adjusting their eyes to the bright light.

“Deceit!” Molly chirped. She jumped into Deceit’s arms, who cradled her close to his chest. “You’re not hurt, are you?”

“No, Molly, we’re fine,” Deceit answered.

“We?” Jack asked.

Deceit stepped outside and allowed the person behind them to come out as well.

“Logan,” Virgil sighed in relief.

Logan lowered his hand and quirked his lips into a gentle smile. “Salutations, Virgil.”

“Dude, next time, don’t go running off by yourself to fight the literal antichrist,” Virgil snapped.

“Forgive me for thinking Roman’s safety was more important than my own at the time.” Virgil’s heart sank at the mention of Roman’s name. Logan continued, “Speaking of, you wouldn’t happen to know where he is, would you?”

“Unfortunately,” Virgil answered.

Jack turned to Deceit and informed them of the situation, “Remy activated the override protocol, and he’s using it against Patton and Cassie to control them right now. We need the password to override the command.”

“I can do that,” Deceit answered. “In the meantime, you all distract Remy. Make sure Patton and Cassie don’t get out of the mansion. We don’t need them doing Remy’s dirty work and making a bigger mess than he already has.”

Jack nodded their head. “You sure you don’t need a little luck?”

Deceit put a hand on their shoulder. “They’re going to need you a lot more than they’ll need me. Now go. All of you. It’s time to do what I should’ve done a long time ago.”

The group separated, leaving Deceit in the garden. Virgil moved to join them, and Logan put a hand on his chest.

“You stay with Deceit, Virgil.”

Virgil blinked and snapped, “The fuck I am! I’m not staying with a complete stranger that might turn on us.”

“You’ll be safer with them and out of Remy’s way, trust me.”

“My brother is in there. Patton is in there. I’m not abandoning them.”

“You’re only human, Virgil.”

“So?”

“Don’t be a foolish hero.”

“A hero?” Virgil snorted. “I’m not a hero, Logan. You know that. I’m a coward, but you know what? I’d rather die protecting my family than dying a coward.”

Logan’s eyebrows sailed up to his hairline, and the corner of his lips ever so slightly tilted into a smile.

“As you wish, but remember, Virgil, this game is heavily stacked against us. There’s no guarantee we’ll make it out alive.”

Virgil cracked his knuckles and took a deep breath. “Bring it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know you're almost at the end, but take one more break, please! You're going to need it for the last chapter!


	21. Chapter 21

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Remy does whatever it takes to win.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Warnings: possessive speech, abusive behavior, mind control, guns, bullet wounds, threats of major character death, near character death, forced submission, blood, cutting, food mention  
Word Count: 5117

Remy grumbled as he exited the hallway and into the living room. Something wasn’t right. He couldn’t find Jack, Fajjr, or Molly anywhere. Either they were in on this too, or whoever was sneaking around the mansion got them as well. If they hurt any of his family, he was going to make sure they died slowly and painfully.

Remy descended the stairs. He spied Roman shaking Patton’s shoulders and grimaced. He asked, “Roman, angel, what are you doing?”

Roman’s head snapped up, and he walked around the couch to Remy’s side. Remy cupped Roman’s cheeks, and Roman raised on his toes to give Remy a quick kiss on the lips.

“Just checking to make sure they’re okay, darling,” Roman purred.

“That’s my boy,” Remy said with a smile. “Always putting others before yourself. You’re such a good boy.”

Roman preened at the compliment, and he melted into Remy’s side. The two of them walked as one back to the two couches. Remy waved a hand over Patton and Cassie’s eyes, confirming the protocol was still in effect. He sighed and scratched his head.

“I didn’t want to do this, you know,” he said to his captive audience. “I wanted us to be a happy family, fighting side by side to bring those bastards down, but I guess we can’t always get what we want, huh?”

The silence answered him.

Remy walked over to the fireplace. He grabbed his phone off the mantle and pulled up Thomas’s number. He continued, “No matter. I’ll let Thomas know that we’re going to need a press conference. It’s time the world knew about us, about traders, about everything we stand for. And we’re not going to let anyone get in our way.”

A loud bang caught his attention. It sounded like it came from the garden. Remy growled under his breath, and he turned his phone off. What was that?

“Patton, go check out what made that noise,” Remy ordered.

Patton rose from the grave and the couch, and he marched off toward the front door. Remy pulled Roman close. He wasn’t about to let his beloved angel out of his sight. He ordered Cassie to follow him as well, and the two of them climbed the stairs to put Roman in the safety of his room.

“What’s going on?” Roman asked.

“Nothing, angel. We’re just going to keep you safe and make sure nothing happens to you, m’kay? Cassie is going to stay with you.” Roman didn’t answer. Remy glanced down at him, noting the wrinkles in his beloved’s forehead. “You’re worried about something, aren’t you?”

“What about you? Who’s going to keep you safe?”

“Don’t worry. I can handle myself.” Remy opened the door to Roman’s room and guided him inside. He set Roman down on the bed and leaned down to leave a long, passionate kiss on his lips. Roman didn’t return it. Probably too worried. “You be good now, you hear?”

Roman frowned, and he grabbed onto Remy’s wrist as he walked away. Remy turned. Roman whispered, “Don’t hurt them.”

Remy eyed him over and gave Roman’s hand a gentle squeeze. He slipped out of Roman’s grip and stationed Cassie at the door.

“Watch over Roman, and make sure no one gets in. If they try, turn them into a popsicle, m’kay?” Remy ordered.

Cassie slowly nodded her head up and down, and Remy hastened down the hall to meet up with the intruders.

–

The group of ragtag heroes rounded the end of the garden and climbed the stairs to the front door of the mansion. Jack’s hand reached out to grab onto the door handle, but it turned before they could reach it. They recoiled. The door opened, and Patton stood in the opening.

“Oh great,” Fajjr mumbled. “So much for luck.”

Patton stared at them, his eyes barely visible through the fog of his goggles. Logan took a step forward.

“Patton,” he said. Patton’s head snapped over in his direction. “We’re not here to harm you.”

Patton’s head tilted to the side, much like a cat would, but wrong. It looked stiff, robotic, unrealistic. He rectified it seconds later. In the blink of an eye, he stood in front of Logan. Logan stiffened, his hair the only thing that moved. He swallowed hard.

Patton’s hand grabbed onto his tie. He yanked Logan forward. His heated breath burned Logan’s face.

Fajjr moved to grab Patton. Patton swung Logan and knocked him into her. The two of them tumbled into the front yard. He darted forward again. Jack knelt and shielded Molly from view. Fajjr stood up from her spot on the grass. She lunged her fist forward. Patton easily dodged it. He grabbed onto her waist. Fajjr cried out and kicked. She hit Patton in the shin twice, but he didn’t flinch.

“Patton, stop it!” Logan yelled. Patton snapped his head to Logan. The speed he moved it at should’ve broke his neck. He tossed Fajjr aside and reached for Logan. Logan removed one of his gloves. His hand connected with Patton’s face.

_Logan! Get out of the way! I can’t stop!_

The sound of Patton’s voice reverberated throughout Logan’s skull. Patton was very much aware of everything that was going on, and he was scared. That knowledge fueled an entirely different fire in Logan’s gut.

Logan watched the world slow as he absorbed Patton’s gift. Patton slowed to a normal speed. Logan removed his hand from Patton’s face. He grabbed onto Patton’s shirt. With a fluid motion, he rolled onto his back. Patton sailed through the air and tumbled several feet away in the grass. He rolled to a halt. Logan stood.

No one moved. Nothing made a sound. The world stood still, except for Patton and Logan.

Patton hurried to his feet, and Logan dashed forward. Patton ducked down and swept his feet out. It successfully tripped up Logan, who somersaulted in the grass. Dirt dug into Logan’s cheek as he slid to a halt. He should’ve known. He may be as fast as Patton, but Patton had way more experience moving at super speed than he did. Of course Patton would get the better of him.

Time fast forwarded to normal.

Patton cracked his neck. He turned around and stormed toward Logan. Logan, whose whole body protested standing right now, pushed himself to his hands and knees. Patton balled his hands into fists. Logan watched two Pattons dance around in the grass until they meshed into one threatening predator.

Two black boots landed in front of Logan. Logan followed them up to a familiar patched black hoodie.

“Patton, knock it off,” Virgil growled.

To Logan’s surprise, Patton stopped moving. His body shook like someone threw ice water on him, and his lips pulled into a grimace.

Virgil held up his hands like he was taming a velociraptor and let out a sharp, breathy laugh. He mumbled, “I didn’t think that would work.”

Patton took another step forward, and Virgil’s grin fell. He took another step, and Virgil swallowed hard. Another step caused Virgil to back up and nearly step on Logan’s hand. Virgil let out a low curse.

“Pat, listen to me,” Virgil pleaded, “I know we’ve been kinda rocky the past month or so, but you really wouldn’t hurt me over it, would you?”

Patton didn’t acknowledge what he said. His movements were jagged, like a doll losing batteries. He dragged his feet across the ground. A few times, it looked like he rusted over, but he always managed to take another step.

Virgil kept his breathing even. He forced the words out of his throat. “I’m sorry.”

Patton’s body halted an arm’s length away. If Virgil wanted to, he could reach out and touch Patton, but he didn’t want to risk it. He didn’t know what Patton would do. So instead, he continued.

“I’m sorry you didn’t want to tell me who you were. I’m sorry I made you feel bad because you were a deviant. I’m sorry if I’m the reason you went to Deceit in the first place, but Patton… you’re my best friend. You should’ve been able to tell me anything, and I’m sorry. I royally fucked up as Roman would say.” He took pride in the way Patton grimaced. His best friend was still in there somewhere. “So if you want to hurt me, I understand.”

Patton’s arm moved. Virgil clenched his eyes shut and waited for the blow. Instead of an angry fist, a gentle hand squeezed his shoulder. Virgil squinted. He couldn’t see Patton’s eyes, but he could see his lips quivering, trying so hard to speak, trying so hard to say something to Virgil. Virgil just had to figure out what that something was.

A plank of wood from the broken shed door swung into Patton’s face, and Patton tumbled into the ground. Fajjr wielded it in her hands like a sword and huffed through her nose.

“You’re either suicidal or the stupidest conventional I’ve ever met,” Fajjr scolded Virgil.

Virgil shrugged. Logan scampered over to Patton and observed the small gash forming on Patton’s temple. The goggles over his eyes sputtered and cracked, and Logan hissed and drew his hands back as a spark bit his finger. A small trail of smoke wiggled into the air.

“I think you broke them,” Jack observed. Molly clung to their hip like a lifeline.

“Good,” Fajjr remarked. “One down, three to go.”

“Three?” Logan rose a brow. “I was under the assumption that it was only Cassie and Remy we needed to watch out for.”

Virgil cringed. “Oh, did I forget to mention that Roman has one of those fancy goggles too?”

Logan’s eyebrows rose to his hairline. His shocked expression melted into annoyance as he grumbled, “Of course.”

Patton groaned. He rubbed the side of his face, his palm slipping on the smoking goggles. He tried again and succeeded in liberating one of his eyes. He cracked an eye open, his blue iris circling the group.

“Nice to see you all again,” he said.

Logan would’ve commented on the terrible pun, but he was too overjoyed that Patton was okay and not under Remy’s control any longer.

Patton struggled to get the goggles fully off his face. Logan leaned down and helped him. To his amazement, as soon as the goggles lifted off his face, they shifted into Patton’s glasses.

“I’m going to have to ask Deceit what technology he used to create this device,” Logan mused.

“Heh, good luck,” Jack commented.

Patton put his glasses back on his face, and he looked around. He spied Virgil, and he wrapped his friend into a tight hug. Virgil would’ve commented on the unwanted contact, but he was too thrilled to have Patton back to care.

“I heard you,” Patton said. “I heard everything you said to me.”

“I meant every word,” Virgil responded.

Patton pulled away and stared into Virgil’s eyes. He reassured, “I’d never hurt you by the way.”

“Heh, kinda figured that out, but thanks.”

“Hey, I hate to break the lovebirds up, but Remy still has Cassie under his control, and she could pop up here any minute,” Fajjr reminded.

“Fajjr, take Molly and get out of here,” Jack ordered. “I don’t want her hurt.”

“What, and miss all the fun? Just because I’m a mom doesn’t mean I want to babysit, you sexist prick.”

Molly looked between the two of them and said, “I can hide. I’ll be safe.”

“We’ll need Fajjr in case something goes wrong,” Logan objected. “She’s proven herself more than worthy of being with us.”

“See? I like him,” Fajjr said, “which says a lot because I hate everyone.”

“Can we get going now?” Virgil asked and switched his weight from one foot to the other. “I’d rather get my brother back today instead of tomorrow.

Cautiously and as a group, they moved into the mansion. The only noise they heard was the fire’s crackle. Cassie had disappeared from her post, and Roman was nowhere in sight.

“Now what?” Virgil whispered.

“We could always split up,” Jack offered. A chorus of “no” answered them. Jack mumbled, “I was only kidding.”

“So, you managed to break Patton’s goggles,” Remy’s voice called from the second floor. He tapped the stair railing with his fingers, his lips drawn into a tight line. “Fajjr, Jack, I’m disappointed. Not only are you working for the enemy, but you’ve roped Molly into it. How could you?”

“How could we? How could you?” Jack shot back.

Molly appeared from Jack’s side. She yelled, “Remy, stop it. You’re hurting people. That’s bad.”

Remy sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. He said, “I don’t have a choice anymore, Molly. They’re passed saving.” Remy revealed a gun at his side. He held his palm up and formed a pile of gold dust.

“Remy, put the gun away,” Patton ordered.

“Sorry, babe, but you heard me. Anyone who stands in my way is the enemy, and I’ll do anything to keep deviants safe, including killing you all.”

Remy leveled the gun. Patton raced forward. He climbed the stairs and reached the second floor as Remy’s finger eased onto the trigger. Patton lunged forward. He grabbed Remy’s arms just in time. The bullet hit the ceiling. Patton and Remy wrestled for control of the weapon. They didn’t notice how dangerously close to the edge of the rail they were.

“Patton, watch it!” Virgil yelled.

Remy lost his balance. He cried out as he tipped backward. Patton grabbed Remy’s shirt to try and steady him, but Remy ended up dragging him over the side as well. The two fell from the second story.

Logan prayed he had a bit of speed left. He grabbed onto one of the couches. With all his might, he pushed. The couch started to slide across the wooden floor. Time slowed ever so slightly. The couch reached them in time, and Patton and Remy fell into a heap onto the cushions.

For a moment, the world held its breath.

Fast footsteps echoed down the corridor of the second floor. Roman appeared at the railing. He leaned over the side. Cassie followed behind him, her mission to keep Roman safe still in effect.

“Remy, are you hurt? I heard a gunshot,” he cried.

“I’m fine, angel,” Remy groaned. He shoved Patton off him and spied Cassie at the top of the stairs. “Cassie, freeze them solid. I don’t need them getting in my way again.”

Cassie rose both her hands. Frost shot through the air. Jack backed up, but they found their feet frozen in place. Molly ran from their side and hid behind the couch. Fajjr easily snapped the binds on her legs, and she started to race toward the stairs to take Cassie down, but Cassie froze Fajjr up to her neck and successfully stopped all Fajjr’s movement. Logan and Virgil struggled to get free, Virgil mumbling something about the same thing happening all over again. Cassie tried several times to freeze Patton, but he proved too quick. She instead froze the ground under him. Patton lost his balance and smacked into a wall. In his daze, she easily froze his legs and stopped him in his tracks.

Roman carefully descended the stairs and half ran half slid to Remy’s side. Remy caught Roman in his arms and spun around on the ice. He stopped both himself and Roman from falling onto the floor.

“I’m okay, angel,” Remy whispered and gave a quick kiss to Roman’s forehead.

“Get your dirty hands off him,” Virgil growled.

Remy looked up, his eyes peeking over his sunglasses, and gave two amused giggles. He said, “Wow, feisty. I should’ve known you’d be a bitch about our relationship. Protective brothers always are.”

Virgil scowled.

“Release him,” Logan ordered. “He has done nothing to you. You can’t force him to love you.”

“But, uh, if you haven’t noticed, I have,” Remy remarked. He squeezed Roman closer into his chest for emphasis. “What’s the matter, Lolo? You jealous?”

Logan’s stare rivaled Cassie’s ice.

“I bet you are,” Remy said, his voice darkening. “I bet you’re realizing what exactly you gave up all those years ago. Roman loved you, and you used him. You’re still using him, aren’t you? You’re making him think you still like him just so you don’t have to be alone anymore. Right?”

Logan opened his mouth to speak, but he slammed his jaw shut as Remy passed Roman the gun in his hand. Roman stared down at the cold object.

“You can be free of him,” Remy offered and glanced in Logan’s direction. “You can pay Logan back for breaking your heart by breaking his. All it would take is one shot.”

“Remy no!” Patton yelled and struggled against the ice.

Remy put an innocent hand to his chest and cooed, “But Patty cakes, I’m not gonna kill Logan. I promised Roman all those years ago that I wouldn’t. No, he’s going to take matters into his own hands, aren’t you, angel?”

Roman continued to stare at the deadly weapon in his hands.

“Roman, don’t!” Virgil pleaded. Roman’s head snapped up in Virgil’s direction. “Don’t listen to him.”

Remy cupped the sides of Roman’s face. His voice was gentle as he spoke, “Oh, I know, angel. I didn’t want you to have blood on your hands. You’re too good for this, but you did make me promise. And besides, think of how good you’ll feel to finally be free of Logan forever.”

“Free?” Roman whispered.

“Yes, free of the guilt. Free of the trauma. Free of that one person you trusted more than anyone else.”

“Free,” Roman whispered.

“Yes, free,” Remy coached. He guided Roman’s hands up, aiming straight at Logan. Roman’s hands shook, and Remy stroked his arms. “It’s okay, angel. You can do it. It’s easy. Just pull your finger back and… shoot.”

Screams for Roman to stop shot around the room. Roman stayed focused on Logan, his arms continuing to tremble. Logan stayed silent. He stared Roman down, mostly out of fear, but the other because he had no choice.

“Roman, I am truly sorry,” Logan whispered. The voices died down. “You have done your fair share to make amends for the past, and I have held onto a grudge that should’ve ended months ago. You’ve grown so much since then. No one deserves to have their mistakes haunt them forever. Before you take that shot, I want you to know that I can’t forgive what you said, but I can look past it and move on. I’m disappointed I cannot prove that to you, but if I could, I’d like to go back to being your… friend.”

Roman bit his lip. His arms continued to shake, but his finger made no move to pull the trigger.

“Huh, nice last words,” Remy commented. “At least you’ll die with a clear conscience. Anytime you’re ready, angel.”

Roman opened his mouth, closed it, and opened it again. A sad sort of smile graced his lips as he said, “You forgive me?”

Logan swallowed his pride. “In a sense, yes. I forgive you.”

Roman choked out a laugh. He lowered the gun, and Remy pulled Roman’s arms back up. Remy pressed Roman’s finger down on the trigger. The gun fired. Logan grunted and gripped his stomach. Horrified screams shouted from every direction.

Remy blinked. Huh, he mustn’t have aimed it right. He tried to force the gun back up, but Roman’s arms held stiff.

“A little higher, angel. We almost got him,” Remy coaxed.

“No.”

Remy blinked. “No? What-”

“I said no,” Roman snapped. Remy fought for control of the weapon. He easily pulled it out of Roman’s grasp.

“Fine! I’ll do it myself!” Remy shouted. He aimed. Logan looked up through his pain and stiffened his jaw.

The bracelet around Remy’s wrist sizzled to life. It spread a black as night suit over his body with yellow glitter shimmering in the low light. Remy gasped, and the suit crawled up his body. He tried to take his shot, but the goggles for his suit snapped over his sunglasses. A loud crackle snapped through the air, and Remy dropped the gun. He struggled for a few minutes to free his vision, but his movements slowed as he fell victim to its spell.

The goggles over Cassie’s eyes melted away. She blinked and took in her surroundings. She took one look at Logan and raced down the stairs.

“What happened?” she asked. She melted the ice on the floor, successfully freeing everyone at once. Logan lost his balance, and she caught him in her arms.

“Remy shot him,” Virgil informed as he kneeled at Logan’s side. Patton dashed over and collapsed. He pressed his palm on Logan’s wound to stop the bleeding, and Logan hissed.

Roman struggled to pull his own goggles off his face. He spoke through his grunts, “Hey, who turned out the lights?”

Virgil sighed and walked over to Roman. He waved a hand in front of Roman’s face. “Yo, bro, can you see?”

Roman paused. “Of course I can’t! I can’t see a- Virgil, is that you? Did Remy- when I get my hands on him-”

“Don’t worry about Remy,” Virgil hurried to say. “Now, hold still. I’m gonna try and get this off.”

Roman stopped struggling and let Virgil shift his head into a manageable position.

Virgil snorted and commented, “It’s a good thing you’re shorter than me or this would be really difficult.”

“Shut up and get it off already,” Roman grumbled.

Virgil’s fingers slid along the leather straps and stopped at a golden buckle. He gave an experimental tug, but all he managed to do was yank Roman’s head back.

“Oww, you tactless brute! You pulled my hair!”

“Oh stop being such a drama queen and hold still.” Virgil grumbled under his breath, “Logan’s dying and you’re complaining about a little lost hair.”

“Wait, Logan’s what?”

Jack walked to Virgil’s side and eyed the device around Roman’s head. They hummed and said, “Huh, that looks a lot like the thing Remy put on him the first time. If I remember right, the password is 42489.”

Virgil glanced down, and he observed spinning locks next to the straps. Good thing Jack was there, because his next suggestion was to cut the straps off, and that would’ve made Roman freak out more. His thumb skimmed along the spinning lock as he put in the passcode. The lock clicked open, and the goggles fell off of Roman’s face.

Roman ran his hands over his eyes and let out a content sigh. “Oh thank the stars.”

Virgil snorted as he spied the angry red rings around Roman’s face. He’d leave that part out. Right now, Roman’s attention was focused on Logan anyway. Roman raced to Logan’s side, and he took one of Logan’s hands in both of his. He examined the wound in Logan’s stomach, which oozed more blood than Roman ever saw in his life, and sucked in a breath.

“Oh god. Oh, Logan,” Roman stammered. “Did I-”

“You didn’t do this,” Logan choked out. “Don’t blame yourself.”

“Then why do I get the feeling that I should be?”

Logan’s hand gently squeezed Roman’s. He sent a reassuring smile. “You didn’t hurt me. You fought against Remy.”

Roman covered his mouth with his left hand. He squeezed Logan’s hand tighter with the other. “I’m so sorry. This is my fault. If I wouldn’t have engaged Remy at the news studio, none of this would’ve happened, and you-”

“Now is not the time for regrets,” Logan mumbled.

Molly tiptoed out from behind the couch. She covered her mouth, and a tiny cry broke free from her throat. “Is Logan gonna die?”

No one in the room wanted to answer.

“Come here, sweetie,” Cassie urged and allowed Molly to cling onto her chest. Molly couldn’t take her eyes off Logan.

“I can fix him,” Molly mumbled. “I can do it.”

“Oh honey,” Cassie whispered, “I don’t know if even your blood will fix this now.”

“I can try,” Molly moved to Logan’s side. Logan cracked an eye open. Molly put a hand to Logan’s wound, and she whimpered. “He _is_ dying.”

Patton couldn’t hide the choked sob that tore through his throat. Virgil let out a low curse, and Roman put his forehead against Logan’s too cold hand. Logan, too tired to keep his eyes open anymore, leaned his head back into Patton’s lap and sighed, accepting his fate.

“Don’t cry,” Molly urged. “I have magic blood. I can heal him. I just have to bleed.”

“Are you sure?” Cassie asked.

“I’m sure,” Molly answered. Cassie created a dagger made of sharp ice. She pressed it to Molly’s forearm. Blood dripped from Molly’s arm onto Logan’s wound.

The room held its breath. For a while, nothing happened. Patton’s nerves got the better of him.

“Is it working? Are we too late?” he asked.

Molly stared down at the bullet wound, her eyebrows tense against her eyes. It should’ve started to heal by now. Her arm started to heal, her blood fixing her wound, and she whimpered.

“It should’ve worked,” she whispered and started to cry. “Why didn’t it work?“

“Oh sweetheart,” Cassie cooed and pulled Molly in close. Molly broke down into her shirt. “You did everything you could. Sometimes it’s just… not enough.”

Footsteps echoed down the second floor hall, and Deceit appeared at the stairs. They surveyed the scene in front of them, and a frown creased their face.

“I’m guessing I was late,” Deceit said. They descended the stairs and arrived at the group’s huddled side. “Molly’s blood didn’t work?”

“I think we’re too late,” Cassie whispered.

Virgil punched the floor and screamed a curse. Jack lowered their head, wishing they were closer to Logan when the gun went off. Maybe then Logan would’ve had some extra luck. Patton pressed a kiss to Logan’s forehead and nearly recoiled at how cold it was. Roman’s shoulders shook as he tried to suppress his tears. No matter what Logan said, he couldn’t shake the feeling that this was all his fault. Writing an article on Intuition’s death was not on his career to-do list.

Deceit hummed, and they scratched the side of their burned face. An idea lit up their eyes. They asked, “Molly, did you touch Logan’s skin?”

“No,” Molly said through her hiccups.

“Try it. He can absorb abilities through skin contact. If your blood can heal you, maybe you can make his blood heal him.”

“There’s probably no blood left at this rate,” Fajjr mumbled.

“Just. Try, please?” Deceit asked.

Molly’s hand pressed into the side of Logan’s face. His cold cheeks sent shivers down her spine. Still, she kept her hand there. She didn’t know how long she had to touch him for, but she wasn’t taking any chances on pulling away too soon.

It appeared that option failed as well.

Still, Molly refused to let go. She put both her hands on Logan’s cheeks, and tears dripped onto Logan’s face. Jack put their hands on top of Molly’s, hoping that their ability would rub off as well. Logan could use all the luck he could get right now. He was fighting a losing battle.

“Please,” she whispered. “Please be okay.”

Molly wasn’t sure if it was the warmth of her palms or not, but the skin under her hands started to warm. Some of the colors returned to Logan’s face, and his breathing got less and less shallow. Soon, the wound on his stomach started to close.

Logan groaned. He opened his eyes, those lovely blue eyes, and glanced around the room. The first thing he saw was Patton leaning over him, eyes wide and glasses spotted with tears. Logan blinked. He spied Molly’s hands firmly planted on his cheeks, and his lips cracked open to speak.

“What… happened?” he asked.

“You’re alive, that’s what happened,” Roman said very much so out of breath. He planted a kiss to Logan’s knuckles and thanked every deity he knew.

“It worked!” Molly chirped. She started to laugh through her tears. “I did it.”

Logan sat up and winced. His head spun.

“Easy, you lost an awful lot of blood,” Deceit said as they kneeled on the floor. They took a deep breath and smiled. Their eyes caught Jack beaming at Logan’s side. “You’re lucky to be alive.”

Logan hummed. He said, “I suspect your mission to enter the passcode to override the system worked.”

“It did,” Deceit said and sighed through their nose. They looked over their shoulder at Remy. “I’m not sure what to do with him. I’m going to have to keep him under tight control until we can figure out how to reverse the damage already done. I’m not sure if we can at this rate.”

“Everyone deserves a second chance,” Patton said. He looked at Virgil, then to Roman, and finally to Logan. “He can be a hero too. We just have to work a little harder to teach him the right way to save people.”

“I suppose so,” Deceit responded. They glanced at the bracelet on Patton’s wrist. “I won’t be offended if you don’t want to be a part of this any longer.”

Patton sighed. He said, “Thank you. I think I’m just happy being my peppy Patton self for right now. But maybe I’ll help in the future.”

“Understandable,” Deceit said. They stood up straight. “I think it’s about time we all defuse from the situation anyway. I have a lot of work to do.”

Patton helped Logan stand, and Roman took the other side. Virgil walked beside Patton for emotional support. The four of them headed out of the mansion, leaving Deceit and all the others behind them.

“So,” Roman asked, “Are you serious about giving up the hero business?”

“I think so, at least for a little while,” Patton said. “I think for right now, I’m just happy knowing I don’t have to save everyone to be a hero, just what’s important… my family.”

Roman smiled at that.

Patton’s stomach growled, and he groaned. He laughed through his pain and continued, “Though, I wouldn’t mind a hero sandwich right now.”

Logan mumbled something about letting him go back to dying on the pavement.

Roman laughed through his nose. “Have you ever tried shawarma? There’s a shawarma joint about two blocks from here.”

“Shawarma?” Patton asked.

“I don’t know what it is, but I want to try it.” Roman glanced over and caught the quirk of Virgil’s brow. “Iron Man. Avengers, 2012.”

Virgil snorted. He glanced up at the setting sun, setting on this chapter but sure to rise on a new one. One filled with hope. One filled with rekindled friendship and a broken family that was doing their best.

“I guess that’s okay with me,” Virgil answered.


	22. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's three months later, and the crew is starting to settle down into a normal routine.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Warnings: mentioned trauma from previous chapters, mild injury  
Word Count: 669

“Hurry up, guys, you’re going to miss it!” Patton chirped. He jumped over the back of the couch and settled down on the middle cushion. Logan hurried down the stairs and took a seat next to Patton. He folded one leg over the other and crossed his arms.

“I’m coming, I’m coming,” Virgil grumbled as he walked in from the kitchen. He sent the text on his phone and took his seat beside Patton. Thankfully, the commercials were still playing and they hadn’t missed anything.

“How’s your wrist?” Patton asked as he glanced at Logan.

Logan flexed his fingers. He responded, “Manageable, but nothing serious.”

“Do we need to see Molly again?” Virgil asked.

“Absolutely not. It’s a school night. She better be asleep by now.”

“Right,” Virgil said with a roll of his eyes. He glanced down at his phone one last time and responded to another text.

“I’m assuming that’s Dr. Picani,” Logan said with a raise of his brow.

“Yeah. He wants to change my appointment. Said that Thomas had to reschedule for this Saturday,” Virgil replied. He sighed and shook his head, “He’s been having pretty bad nightmares since the whole “watch your boss get shot” thing.”

“True, but at least now he has his boss’s salary to compensate things,” Logan added.

“Yeah, but money doesn’t buy happiness,” Patton reminded.

“It buys Disney World tickets, and that’s pretty darn close sometimes,” Virgil said with a snort.

Logan’s phone buzzed in his pocket. He pulled it out and read the name on the screen. Deceit’s name appeared, along with a short message.

_”How much do you need to treat that broken wrist of yours?”_

Patton leaned over Logan’s shoulder, and he hummed happily. He said, “It’s a good thing Deceit is still looking out for us.”

“Of course,” Logan replied, “though I’m sure it’s only because they’re still trying to win your cooperation over.”

“Nah, he knows I’m my own hero now,” Patton said with a smile. “Besides, with Fajjr joining gymnastics and Jack running a stage show downtown, they’ve got their hands full enough as it is. Plus there’s Molly’s girl scout meetings.”

“Please tell me he’s the den mother,” Virgil said with a snort.

“Now, now, Virgil, Deceit’s doing his best. Besides, I think Raven took over as den mother. She wants to be involved more in her nibling’s lives, and her sibling’s life.” Patton’s smile softened. “I’m glad they got to see each other again.”

The news letters flashed across the screen, and Virgil shushed the two of them. Sitting behind the desk with a stack of papers in hand was Roman, who smiled into the camera.

_“Good evening. I’m Roman Caballero, and welcome to the 9 o’clock news.”_

Roman reviewed a few stories on the news, some that were interesting like the local charity event for the building that burned down six months ago, and some that were less fun.”

_“And now we bring you breaking news from the mayor herself. According to a press conference this evening, Mayor Elizabeth Corby-Wagner would like to dedicate a statue in the center of Sidestone park in honor of the two superheroes who have saved her life, Intuition and Palpitation. In her direct words, it’s a small gesture of appreciation, but hopefully, children for years to come will get to learn about the heroics of these two vigilantes turned superheroes.”_

The mayor herself appeared on the screen holding her one year old son in a chest harness. She spoke into the microphone, “It’s the least I can do. They’ve helped me and so many others out. It almost feels like it’s not enough.”

Roman appeared back on the screen, his wide smile too bright.

_“I’m sure the two heroes are grateful for anything this city gives them. After all, it’s one step in recognizing a future where those with powers and those without can live together in harmony. I’m Roman Caballero, signing off the 9 o’clock news. Until next time, take it easy guys, gals, and non-binary pals. Peace out.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well... that's it! All the waiting, all the blood, sweat, and tears, all the aching wrists... it's all come to this. This is the longest story I've completed to date, and I couldn't be more proud! I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Thank you for stopping by <3
> 
> -Cat


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